Conservatives thrust the House back into chaos on Wednesday, grinding business to a halt in protest of the spending deal Speaker Mike Johnson struck with Democrats to avert a government shutdown and leaving the funding package in limbo.
A dozen hard-line Republicans defected from the party line to tank a routine procedural measure, blocking consideration of a pair of G.O.P. bills in what amounted to a warning shot by members of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus that they would not stand for the agreement. As the measure failed, members of the group could be seen in animated discussion with Mr. Johnson and his deputies on the House floor.
The Republican revolt underscored Mr. Johnson’s predicament in trying to steer the spending deal through the closely divided House, where it has enraged a sizable bloc of Republicans, while keeping his grip on his job. The upheaval came as it was becoming clear that Congress would most likely have to resort to yet another short-term spending patch — something Mr. Johnson had previously ruled out — to buy time to push a bipartisan deal to fund the government.
Here’s why gerrymandering is so bad. Say you live in a district that is 90% Red. The only people who are interested in the primaries are the true diehard MAGoos. They don’t want to hear the words ‘compromise’ or ‘common sense.’ The most extreme candidate is the one who will win. So there’s no upside for co-operating with the Dems.
The upside is that you served your one term with dignity and got something done.
The fact that everyone thinks political action should be driven by reelection prospects and seems perfectly fine with the ill motivation and contempt for the people that goes with is a major fucking problem.
I feel like I could see that working for local positions, but you want your federal representatives to have experience governing, right? Like, work their way up, learning as they go? That means this isn’t a fun hobby for them, it’s a job. Are you telling these folks to spend years/decades building up their political career just to kamikaze it all for a single two year term (6 Senate unless they’re recalled)? And if so, where should a person flame-out? Should they go down swinging on city council, or wait until they’re a state senator, or wait until they’re in US Congress etc.?
How many first term Congress people ever get anything done?