US debt ceiling, gov shutdown and Speaker of the House fight

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House GOP looks for reset on government funding​

House Republicans are looking for a reset on government funding following the chaotic — and prolonged — spending process over the last year, adding to the pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who already faces an uphill climb to achieve many of the conference’s goals.

The push for a clean slate on 2025 spending comes shortly after the House wrapped up fiscal year 2024 appropriations, which required four funding stopgaps, brought Washington to the brink of several shutdown cliffs and led to the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

But as Republicans look to cut spending and avoid a year-end omnibus, hurdles are emerging: Deep divisions throughout the conference, an ever-narrowing majority and the pressures of an election year.

“It’s gonna be extraordinarily difficult,” newly minted House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (Okla.) told reporters on Monday when pressed on the challenges in hashing out annual funding bills for fiscal 2025, adding that “every day we’re closer to the election, the more reluctant Congress is to doing that.”

In some ways, the looming battle over government funding for fiscal 2025 mirrors the previous year’s debate: Leadership looking to move bills through regular order and hard-liners pushing for deep spending cuts, all while grappling with the challenges of an ultra-thin majority.

But this year, the election is poised to put increased pressure on the appropriations process. Some lawmakers will look to score political points in the Capitol that could translate to winning voters on the campaign trail, while others hold back on any action to see who the next White House occupant will be.

More:

 
They are going to spend everything and then a whole lot more. And it's all on dumb stuff and ripping off the people. Should be a throw the bums out election.
 
Could MTG take down Speaker Johnson? Will Ukraine get the help they need? Is MTG a Russian agent? Let's see what CNN's Erin Burnett has to say.

Here's what Russian media is saying about Marjorie Taylor Greene's push to end Ukraine aid​

Apr 17, 2024
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) says she will take down Speaker Mike Johnson over a high-stakes vote on a Ukraine aid bill that Johnson says he’s bringing to a vote in days despite pressure from hardliners. CNN’s Erin Burnett reports. #CNN #News


6:37
 
WSJ

House Approves Long-Stalled Ukraine Aid Over Angry GOP Objections​

WASHINGTON—The House passed a $95 billion foreign-aid package Saturday that included long-stalled funding and weapons for Ukraine, after House Speaker Mike Johnson put his political career on the line to push the measure past intense Republican opposition.

Lawmakers approved separate measures for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and another bill that would force the sale of TikTok by its Chinese-controlled owner. The vote on Ukraine—the most contentious of the four—passed 311 to 112 with all Democrats in support and more than half of Republicans opposed with one GOP lawmaker voting present.

The other votes Saturday passed with majorities of both parties. The measure on TikTok and sanctions related to Iran and Russia passed 360-58, and aid for Taiwan passed 385 to 34, with one Democrat voting present. Israel aid was approved 366 to 58, despite objections from some Democrats over how Israel has handled the war in Gaza and a bloc of Republicans opposed to foreign spending.

The measures will be bundled together and sent to the Senate, which will begin consideration of the bill on Tuesday and is expected to quickly approve the measures. President Biden also supports the package, praising “bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the House who voted to put our national security first.”

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Could prove to be an interesting week.

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls on Johnson to resign after foreign aid bills pass: ‘If he doesn’t do so, he will be vacated’​

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Sunday said House Speaker Mike Johnson “betrayed” Republican voters after the House approved new aid to Ukraine, threatening to call a vote for his ouster if he doesn’t resign.

“Mike Johnson’s speakership is over. He needs to do the right thing to resign and allow us to move forward in a controlled process. If he doesn’t do so, he will be vacated,” Greene said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”

More insanity:

 
House Democratic leaders announced Tuesday that they’d block a looming effort to boot Speaker Mike Johnson, an unprecedented development they attributed to the GOP leader's help to pass foreign aid.

“We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a statement.
...
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Salon

"Confirms my worst fears": Republican farm bill would slash SNAP benefits, gut animal welfare laws​


House Republicans are trying to pass a $1.5 trillion farm bill that critics across the political spectrum say will squeeze farmers, weaken protections against pesticides and other potential toxins, and cut food stamps, putting poorer Americans at risk of going hungry.

The bill — the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, which will be debated in committee starting Thursday — seeks to accomplish its objectives not only by hamstringing the federal government, but by curbing the power of states and rural communities to set their own policies and standards, including on the welfare of animals.

Meanwhile, the country's largest and wealthiest producers stand to benefit from the bill's allocation of massive subsidies and the removal of regulations. Industry groups representing them have praised the bill, pitting them against a long list of advocacy and farmer organizations who argue that must-pass farm legislation should not be skewed in favor of big agribusiness.

"America's farmers and consumers need forward-looking policies that build a sustainable, resilient, and fair food system," said Food & Water Watch policy analyst Rebecca Wolf. "Instead, House leadership seems poised to take us backwards, trading state-level gains for a few more bucks in the pockets of corporate donors. Congress must move beyond partisan bickering, and get to work on a Farm Bill that cuts handouts to Big Ag and factory farms."

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Stabenow Blames GOP for Stalled Farm Bill Talks​

Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) announced that progress on the farm bill has stalled due to Republican resistance to compromise on SNAP and climate funding. Republicans are advocating for significant increases in crop subsidy spending, cuts to SNAP funding, and the use of climate funds for soil and water projects that do not mitigate carbon emissions. Stabenow supports smaller increases in crop support, opposes SNAP cuts and insists on strict regulations for climate funding.

“This year, we’re stuck because of an increased sense of partisanship and a desire by Republicans to really, really play politics with food,” said Stabenow during a Zoom call to rural Americans by the Harris/Walz campaign on Tuesday night.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has been instrumental in previous successful farm bills (2008, 2014 and 2018), has also been active in the current discussions, Stabenow said. Walz’s efforts include “marker” bills focused on land stewardship and supporting new farmers, particularly veterans. The 2018 Farm Bill adopted several of Walz’s proposals for veterans in agriculture, providing expanded access to education, training, crop insurance benefits and premium subsidies.

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^^ It takes two to Tango, Stabenow. Rs want what they want, you want what you want.
 
www.brownfieldagnews.com

Lawmakers weigh in on CBO, farm bill score - Brownfield Ag News

Federal lawmakers have varying opinions on how the Congressional Budget Office scored the House farm bill. Minnesota Democrat Angie Craig serves on the House Ag Committee and says the CBO projects an increase to mandatory spending by $33 billion over ten years. “So as long as it’s scoring as a...
www.brownfieldagnews.com www.brownfieldagnews.com
 
Considering? Sen. Lee said Speaker Johnson has already done it. The SAVE act isn't a poison pill. It merely mandates that folks must be citizens to be eligible to vote. What's the Dems issue with that?

 
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pmbug said:
The SAVE act isn't a poison pill. It merely mandates that folks must be citizens to be eligible to vote. What's the Dems issue with that?
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Because they want to cheat.

It's the only reason anyone would be against it, imho.
 
^^^ that just means the dems want to cheat in the election.
 

House Speaker Johnson pulls government funding bill after GOP support collapses​

  • House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled a planned vote on a stopgap funding bill to keep the government open for six months past an Oct. 1 partial shutdown deadline.
  • Johnson’s move came after more than a dozen fellow Republicans walked back support for the proposed legislation.
  • Former President Donald Trump, who faces Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, backs the plan, which includes a requirement that people show documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled a planned vote Wednesday on a stopgap funding bill that could keep the government open for the next six months after more than a dozen of his fellow Republicans walked back their support for it.

“We’re going to work through the weekend on that,” said Johnson, R-La., less than five hours before the scheduled vote.

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I had seen a tweet from Sen. Mike Lee that some Rs weren't going to support the spending, so I kind of expected this. I imagine that Speaker Johnson will attach the SAVE Act to whatever replacement bill they come up with.
 
pmbug said:
Considering? Sen. Lee said Speaker Johnson has already done it. The SAVE act isn't a poison pill. It merely mandates that folks must be citizens to be eligible to vote. What's the Dems issue with that?

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The democrats cannot win in a fair election. They know it. So they plan to cheat like hell. Again.
 

SECNAV Del Toro Letter to Congress on the Effects of a Continuing Resolution​

September 17, 2024 8:21 AM

The following is the Sept. 12, 2024, letter from Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro to Congress on the potential effects to the Department of the Navy if the government is funded by a six-month continuing resolution.

From the Letter:​

I write today to express my concern about the six-month continuing resolution (CR) and its impact on the Navy and Marine Corps. This lengthy delay in new funding would force the Department of the Navy (DON) to operate at last year’s funding levels with the negative consequences lasting far beyond the time frame of the CR, impeding our ability to field the force needed to defend our nation while imposing unnecessary stress on our Sailors, Marines, Civilians, and their families.

Our FY 2025 budget request included significant investments in recruiting, quality of life, and the ships, submarines, and aircraft the DON requires to enhance maritime dominance.

Enclosed with this letter is a detailed list articulating the impacts of a six-month and year-long

CR on the DON, but here are some of the most consequential:

Read the rest:

 
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