Hey, boys and girls. The 2023 US Government Shutdown Pt 2 is fast approaching. In fact, the deadline to fund the government expires on Friday with no clear avoidance plan in place!
Top News Today :
Well, that was fast. It seems like only yesterday that America was facing the first 2023 US government shutdown. Oh, but time truly flies — and the US government will officially shut down on Friday, November 17th unless congressional Republicans magically come up with a solution to keep it up and running. Too bad the chances of that happening are about as great as the chance of Donald Trump admitting he lost the 2020 election.
On October 1, 2023, Republicans avoided a government shutdown by agreeing to a stopgap measure to temporarily keep the government running until they could come up with a more permanent solution. This was also during the time when the GOP was in total disarray and fired former Speaker Kevin McCarthy before replacing him with current Speaker Mike Johnson. But, that was then and this is now.
So, are Republicans in a better position today than they were just over a month ago to create a viable funding bill? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
With only days to go before Government Shutdown Pt 2, the bad news is that Speaker Mike Johnson has a long way to go to prevent the US government from closing for business just in time for the holiday season. However, the even worse news is that right-wing House Republicans are insisting on the passage of 12 individual appropriations bills and are turning a blind eye to accommodating the omnibus appropriations bill that could keep the government running. Unfortunately for them, Senate Democrats and non-MAGA Senate Republicans want the omnibus appropriations bill passed. So, in theory, they’re all right back to Square 1 and Government Shutdown Pt 2 is all but assured.
According to Intelligencer, Speaker Johnson is hoping against hope that he can somehow avoid Government Shutdown Pt 2 and the embarrassing first major test of his tenure by proving that he can do what Kevin McCarthy could not. However, he realizes that if he supports the passage of a bill that is without the MAGA/right-wing partisan provisions, he will face the wrath of the GOP base and its right-wing conservatives. But if he demands concessions and embraces a showdown, he will risk angering voters in districts that flip and other majority-makers.
Or, in other words, he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place and snarled right back into the same mess as Kevin McCarthy before he was expelled.
Now, with the clock ticking and the deadline looming, Republicans are panicking and, once again, questioning their abilities.
“I don’t think the Lord Jesus himself could manage this group,” GOP Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas said of his Republican colleagues.
“We’re still dealing with the same divisions we always have had,” said another House Republican. “We’re ungovernable.”
NEW: House Republicans nix votes on two funding bills as shutdown deadline nears
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) November 9, 2023
“We’re ungovernable,” says one GOP lawmaker.
Rep. Nehls says he intends to pray for Speaker Johnson.
Lights go out Nov. 17.
w/ @scottwongDC @JulieNBCNews @KyleAlexStewart: https://t.co/QDNsixa7yF
With an ongoing inability to come to a collective conclusion between all party members, Speaker Johnson proposed yet another stopgap proposal on Saturday. His idea would fund some parts of the government until January 19th and others until February 2nd of 2024. However, the idea is already being called the “craziest, stupidest idea” ever and is being compared to putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound.
“I 100% oppose,” because the bill funds the government at current spending levels, GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas tweeted on X.
The staggered plan is “politically DOA,” because it does not have Democratic support, GOP Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas and chairman of the House Budget Committee told reporters.
“Their partisan bills cannot pass,” said Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, who is also the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. “It is time for us to start negotiating full-year bills as House and Senate Democrats and Republicans have done in the past.”
“House Republicans are wasting precious time with an unserious proposal that has been panned by members of both parties,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
“This is the craziest, stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of,” Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee said on Friday.
“This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories,” Johnson responded in a face-saving move.
So, it appears Republicans have no real solution except to keep kicking the can down the road while hoping against hope that voters won’t notice they’re unable to govern and hold it against them in the upcoming election.
Yeah, good luck with that!
OK WASSUP! discusses the Top News Today:
Government Shutdown Pt 2 kicks in this week.
Well. Well. Well. Imagine that. Who knew that a political party of righ-wing haters, dimwits, and nutjobs (Losers all) who spent most of the last 30 years demonizing government would eventually end up having absolutely NO clue as to how to effectively govern in any capacity?!
HAH! Of course most of us with a brain and a sense of humanity and an actual appreciation for Our democracy knew.