On the passage of the funding bill known as “CRomnibus”
Moderates from both parties united to squeak the so-called Cromnibus funding bill through. The right is railing against the passage of the bill, and the left isn’t too happy either. You can see some of the opinions and analyses if you go to memeorandum, and if you want to read an analysis from a blogger on the right who can’t stand the Republican Party, take a look at Drew’s piece at Ace’s.
My reaction?
I observe once again that politicians are concerned with money, especially with rewarding the donors on whom they depend. They don’t want to bite the hands that feed them. This is not going to change unless something fundamental changes (something I don’t see changing, by the way), and it affects both parties and all future parties and politicians as well. You can’t exactly say it’s human nature, but it’s certainly the nature of politics. Most Republicans and the Democrats who voted for this bill were motivated strongly (although not wholly) by these considerations, and it is not surprising.
In addition, a majority of the American people seem to have decided (quite some time ago; during and after the New Deal) that they don’t want to give up their federal largesses, either. So although conservatives clamor for fiscal austerity, when push comes to shove the majority of voters will say “austerity for him, not for me!” So big government has grown apace.
To change these things requires a patient and long-term education (or re-education?) of the American people. It wouldn’t be easy, and it wouldn’t be quick. Another way these things could change, of course, is by the occurrence of some really catastrophic event (financial collapse, for example), but catastrophic events can just as easily lead to tyranny (actually, can more easily lead to tyranny) than they can lead to conservative principles being universally recognized as true and desirable to implement.
Those who say, “That’s it; no more voting for Republicans!” are ignoring the fact that that would be essentially committing political suicide for conservatives and insuring the triumph of the left. I say (as I’ve said many times before): expend your efforts to effect the ascendance of conservative candidates at the grass-roots level, vote for the conservative candidate in the primaries if there is a good one available and running, and work on the big three (media, education, entertainment). But don’t abandon the political process, and once the primary is over, if there’s no conservative candidate vote for the Republican in the general (it will most likely be better than the Democratic, especially in areas such as the appointment of federal judges, an extremely important issue).
Back to CRomnibus. An important element there is that those who thought having another huge budget battle was going to help defund Obama’s immigration order may have been mistaken, because apparently the order is self-funded and not dependent on the budget or Congress at all:
It would be “impossible” to defund President Obama’s executive actions on immigration through a government spending bill, the House Appropriations Committee said Thursday.
In a statement released by Committee Chairman Hal Rogers’s (R-Ky.) office hours before Obama’s scheduled national address, the committee said the primary agency responsible for implementing Obama’s actions is funded entirely by user fees.
As a result, the committee said the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) agency would be able to continue to collect fees and carry out its operations even if the government shut down.“This agency is entirely self-funded through the fees it collects on various immigration applications,” the committee said in a statement. “Congress does not appropriate funds for any of its operations, including the issuance of immigration status or work permits, with the exception of the ”˜E-Verify’ program. Therefore, the appropriations process cannot be used to ‘defund’ the agency.”
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Others have challenged the statement, saying that indeed it could be defunded at least partially.
For what it’s worth (and I have no idea whether it’s worth anything), Republican opponents of Obama’s immigration order are talking tough:
Steve Scalise, the new Republican whip, crowed after the vote that “tonight we set the stage for a battle with the president on his illegal actions when we have a Republican Senate in just four weeks.” He then added “that battle will be very viciously fought.” The question is whether the cromnibus, which won’t tie the immigration fight to a potential government shutdown, hurt the GOP’s leverage in that fight. Some ardent Republicans like Steve King of Iowa were “not optimistic” about what immigration hawks could do in the next Congress if the cromnibus passed.
More on that:
Rules Chairman Pete Sessions said during a panel hearing on the “cromnibus” Wednesday that Republicans plan to bring up legislation similar to an amendment offered by Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina that would prohibit the president from carrying out his immigration action.“Mr. Mulvaney has given us an amendment that works perfectly well,” Sessions said, saying he will “guarantee” that the Rules Committee, “in the new Congress, in the first two weeks,” would have a meeting to put that legislation on the House floor.
Sessions said he believed those in the country posed a threat to national security, and that the “rule of law” must be upheld. But he made it clear that the Rules Committee did not intend to have a fight over the president’s executive action in the cromnibus, thus effectively saying the amendment would not be made in order.
GOP leadership is trying to present the argument that the best chance for success is after the new Congress is sworn in. “We should not put a government shutdown on the table when Republicans have minimal leverage to change this law, particularly when Republican control of the Senate is a month away,” Sessions said.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (as opposed to Rep. Pete Sessions, quoted above) is the member of Congress who has been consistently tough on immigration, and is a smart and principled guy as well (for a politician, that is). This is what he had to say:
…[T]the legislation that passed tonight funds through September of next year many policies that the House itself rejected only a few months ago. In effect, the omnibus provides the Administration with billions of dollars to carry out President Obama’s resettlement plan for illegal immigrants in U.S. communities. The legislation also continues to allow the recipients of the President’s amnesty to receive billions of dollars in government checks in the form of tax credits and to participate in programs through myriad government agencies such as Social Security and Medicare.
The American people are justly worried about their jobs, their schools, and their communities. They have rightly demanded a lawful system of immigration that serves their interests ”“ not the special interests. They have correctly pleaded with their lawmakers to finally adopt immigration policies that put their needs ”“ the needs of American citizens ”“ first. So, to them I say: we are only just beginning. We are going to fight harder than we ever have before.
Those who think that this issue will recede, or fade away, are mistaken. The voice of the American people will be heard.
I wish we could clone Sessions and fill the Senate with those clones. But short of that I hope he finds enough allies to win his fight. It will be interesting—extremely interesting—to see which of the “establishment” Republicans join him and which ones do not.
In other words, to make a difference, the people of the Right need to rise up collectively, play the activist game for keeps, compete for real, and seize the zeitgeist.
Eric:
Instead, there is a strong tendency to want to withdraw from the fray. The activist left has a great deal more patience, at least that’s what I’ve observed.
Boehner has become the biggest obstacle to combating dear leader’s over reach. I do not understand why the house leadership did not go for a short term funding bill to allow the gop senate to seated. Rush is correct, the gop establishment does not want to reduce the DC monster, they just want to have the remote control in their hands.
Re That’s it with GOP:
ignoring the fact that that [not voting] would be essentially committing political suicide for conservatives and insuring the triumph of the left.
and
vote for the Republican in the general (it will most likely be better than the Democratic, especially in areas such as the appointment of federal judges, an extremely important issue).
How, precisely, does not voting GOP ensure the triumph of the Left any more than voting for it? We have now a fifty-year track record, a fifty-year trend line, a fifty-year descent down almost innumerable slippery slopes. On the occasions when the GOP had managed the majority in Congress or occupied the White House, not only had they not reversed the decline and fall, they hadn’t even slowed it — they hadn’t even made good faith attempts to do so. G W Bush and his GOP cronies, had outspent all previous presidents and held the record until BHO.
As for patience, it is an indulgence a drowning man with a life preserver may avail himself of; it’s hardly of any use to the man flailing away in the deep, slapping water. Reverse the trend first, then beg me be patient.
I have a hard time figuring out whether there is a strategy behind this. One thing that’s clear is the need for Republicans to get on the same track–no more ignoring the people and no more attention getters. Different ideas and priorities should be discussed, of course, but in a way that makes voters think they are responsible. The real way to make change is to get more good people in Congress. That seems to have happened this year, and I hope the Reps have learned how to recruit and promote more of the same next time.
I am personally feeling a little overloaded with Ferguson, campus rape, and all the other headline grabbers. If others have similar feelings, a measured, thoughtful approach may be the way to go, especially if there is an observable change in trajectory. Some Dems from more conservative blue states (eg, Joe Manchin) may even cooperate.
George Pal,
It’s all in whether our newer reps have learned anything from the last 50 years. The left has jumped the shark on so many issues, more voters may support new people with different ideas.
There is a good podcast on this with Kim Strassel and Paul Gigot ast WSJ. I don’t know whether it’s behind the paywall, but here’s the link:
http://podcast.mktw.net/wsj/audio/20141212/pod-wsjpotomac/pod-wsjpotomac.mp3
They see some positive signs in cromnibus.
I am just a rube from flyover country, so I find nothing positive in cromnibus. What was wrong about a short term CR and then with a gop lead senate tightening the screws on the agenda of dear leader? I will wait for the first few months of the new congress to pass final judgment, but if I do not see a willingness to thwart dear leader’s lawlessness I will find little reason to vote in the future. The gop establishment should start thinking about where they will be without the conservative base.
“
ModeratesCollaborators from both parties” fixed it for you neo, no charge;-)And here’s the evidence for collaboration:
Boehner pulled a Pelosi, House members had 52 hours to read and digest a 1600 page bill.
Then Boehner one-upped Pelosi; the very first provision, “Sec. 4 Explanatory Statement” (P 4.) states that the appropriations committee chairman will have authority to write in changes to any of the appropriations bills after the bill is passed.
Executive Amnesty Is Fully Funded:
“Health and Human Services: $948 million for HHS’s Unaccompanied Alien Children program, $80 million more than fiscal year 2014, specifically to accommodate the “more than 57,000 children” apprehended in 2014. According to the Democrats, “It will also support legal services for children”. Children declared ‘refugees’ can legally demand that their parents be allowed into the US as well.
Grants access to Social Security benefits for 4.5 million amnestied illegals.
Department of State: $932 million. Includes a $262 million provision to assist Central American countries in improving their border security. (gag)
Full Funding for Obamacare, forget about repeal despite “100% of Newly Elected GOP Senators Campaigned on Repealing Obamacare”
Millions More Muslim Refugees: Syrian Refugees $3.06 billion has been provided, $1.01 billion above the President’s request for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.
Aid to Syrian Rebels; Half a Billion to ‘Nice’ Terrorists
EPA gets to keep on imposing “greenhouse gas” regulations that are strangling coal, while provisions reining in EPA were stripped from the bill.
Provisions supporting gun rights were removed.
$5.4 billion for Ebola efforts in Africa — more than provided to fight ISIS.
Page 1,153, which reauthorizes a federal agency whose job is to subsidize American-owned foreign businesses and the banks that finance them. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation extends taxpayer-backed loans and guarantees to U.S. companies when they set up shop overseas.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well here you go… it says all you need to know.
“…that would be essentially committing political suicide…”
There comes a time when the voters don’t care anymore. They’ve had it with being sold out.
Geoffrey Britain Says:
December 12th, 2014 at 6:29 pm
It is clear that we no longer have a representative Republic. We have a permanent oligarchy that answers to no law.
The Federal government is a criminal enterprise and is therefore illegitimate. Try fixing that by voting.
Incidentally, if I were a member of Congress and Boehner tried to twist my arm into voting for that monstrosity, I would reply, “I will not vote for any bill I have not read, and I have no intention of reading a 1600 page bill.”
This argument that voting for the Republican establishment is better than the Democrats has become too stale and silly to argue about.
Prior to this election, and prior to the last, and the one before that, I stated exactly what Rush and Drew have said, again, that Boner and McConnell simply want the controls in their hands. And they prove it every chance they get. They do not idealogy with conservatives; their loyalty is to goverment and to themselves and their donors.
Getting reminded that these clowns will block the appointment of liberal judges as a consolation for being useless, destructive politicians is wearing thin.
I don’t see evidence of them doing this either. We have not seen Republicans fight for conservative appointees; instead we see them chime in with the media to criticize any judge or appointee who is outspokenly conservative. What we get if we are lucky, is moderate or slightly left of center judge who cannot be counted on to defend any conservative principle if it’s unpopular or sensationalized by the media. Establishment Republicans will not stick their little necks out to defend any appointee who jeopardizes their chances at holding the bag of tax payer cash for a term or two.
2016 is going to be a blood bath for them, and they deserve it. But Boner and McConnell and McCain will live to blow off the voters another day.
I’ve already written my congressman and wished him good luck. I will save the gas and stay home – it’s not like he cares anyway.
The USCIS folks may self fund through fees, but they do not self appropriate, meaning they cannot spend those fees willy nilly, only in accordance with the funds appropriated in the budget. The cowards and traitors feeding us poop know this, but the lie serves them very well with the uninformed.
I hate the Republicans. Hate hate hate them. Liars, mostly.
The cynic in me says that the GOP leadership sees that Soetoro initiatives only increase the vote for the GOP.
Bringing in ANY Syrians means brining in ISIS moles. Duh!
The GOP does not want to be race-baited into ANY ‘anti-Brown’ legislation. This is why the GOP flipped totally the other way.
Beyond that, Boner is of the SILENT GENERATION.
Much of this is actually coming from the heart. Reid, Pelosi and Boner ALL figure that they are PERSONALLY reversing the ravages of the the Great Depression — in their time.
For everyone younger, their emotive responses make absolutely NO SENSE.
You are looking straight at people who make the BIG decisions based upon FEELINGS.
ESFJ
http://www.16personalities.com/esfj-personality
“ESFJs are altruists, and they take seriously their responsibility to help and to do the right thing. Unlike their Diplomat (NF) relatives however, people with the ESFJ personality type will base their moral compass on established traditions and laws, upholding authority and rules, rather than drawing their morality from philosophy or mysticism. It’s important for ESFJs to remember though, that people come from many backgrounds and perspectives, and what may seem right to them isn’t always an absolute truth.”
This personality type HUGELY covers the MSM waterfront — and many, many, politicians… especially those that rise to the top of an old boys/ old gals network — the House of Representatives.
Pelosi is an extreme example of ESFJ impulses.
Going back through the House Speakership… you’ll find this type popping up time, and time, again.
Newt was an extreme outlier. (ExTJ)
THIS is why logical analysis falls so flat with the Speakership — ALL of them.
Newt was ejected for Thinking too much, not Feeling too much.
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the GOP.
The dead elephant party leadership should not be surprised to find their faces on a deck playing cards in the future.
Yikes! deck OF playing cards.
It isn’t suicide to vote against Republicans. That shows a lack of imagination. For example, Ace suggested picking 10 or 12 GOP congressmen and tanking them in 2016. First primary them. If that does not work, then vote for the dem. Imagine voting out the GOP leadership. That will not cause the House to change hands. That will change things.
You are better off spending your time how to grab dollars that the government is handing out. There is no difference between the Rs and the Ds on the largess that is being handed out, just the rules for getting that largess. Just figure out how to grab some instead of going to the polls to vote for Rs who are the same as Ds.