Mike Johnson Unveils His New Budget Plan, and It's Already Causing Controversy

[Eupher]

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2023/11/11/mike-johnson-unveils-his-new-budget-plan-and-its-already-causing-controversy-n2166217

With just days to go before a government shutdown, newly-installed House Speaker Mike Johnson has unveiled his budget plan, and it's already causing waves.

The plan involves what is being dubbed a "ladder CR," which essentially breaks the normal process down into two steps. That's being done in an attempt to appease the budget hawks in the GOP caucus.

Just two and a half weeks into the job, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., opted to go with a two-step continuing resolution, or CR, over a more typical funding extension covering the entire federal government. The untested funding approach is aimed at appeasing far-right agitators in his GOP conference who despise CRs.

The controversy comes in when you consider whether this actually means anything different than just passing a regular continuing resolution. While this novel CR approach would split the expiration dates up, with some facets expiring on January 19th and other facets expiring on February 2nd, one big problem remains: There are no budget cuts.

In other words, there appears to be precious little difference between this approach and the one that got former Rep. Kevin McCarthy booted from the Speakership in early October. Rep. Chip Roy immediately voiced his opposition to Johnson's move.

“It’s a 100% clean. And I 100% oppose,” Roy tweeted. “My opposition to the clean CR just announced by the Speaker to the @HouseGOP cannot be overstated. Funding Pelosi level spending & policies for 75 days — for future “promises.”

Remember, the entire reason McCarthy was voted out by the "gang of eight" led by Rep. Matt Gaetz is that the eight percent spending cut he was negotiating wasn't enough. Now, it looks like there will be no spending cuts at all, with yet another clean CR kicking the can down the road.

I'm not going to say "I told you so" because there's a lot left to happen here, but the signs are not good. Perhaps Johnson is a better Speaker long-term, and I really like him as a person. Certainly, I think it's fair to still prefer him over McCarthy no matter what happens with the budget.

Politically, though, it's also fair to wonder what the big win here was that made that prolonged motion to vacate battle all worth it. That's a battle, mind you, that ended with another Republican underperformance in an election. Did the month of chaos have an effect on voters last Tuesday? I don't know, but it probably didn't help. What's done is done on that front, though, and Johnson is the guy. He's not going anywhere and McCarthy isn't coming back nor should he.

With that said, the new Speaker's honeymoon is going to be over fairly quickly if the status quo is maintained. It'll be interesting to see what those who ousted McCarthy have to say about this new development. Are they going to maintain a hardline regarding the national debt and spending, or are they willing to give Johnson a break in order to start things off on a good foot? We'll find out.

Johnson had best get his head out of his ass. No budget cuts? Because he's afraid of the Dems?

One political reality that Johnson needs to accept -- CRs are a BAD WAY of governing. Shut it the **** down, if necessary. It's not like we need 3/4's of the government to begin with.   

[Old n Grumpy]

Different faces but the same crap sandwich in a different wrapper 

[CollectivismMustDie]

Different faces but the same crap sandwich in a different wrapper 

Yup. Meet the new boss...

[Drafe Hoblin]

I'll give him the benefit-of-the-doubt that he baiting Schumer into a blame-trap.  He's way smarter than the Senate Majority Leader, who hasn't had to do any work regarding the budget lately.

[Drafe Hoblin]

Schumer blocked it.

[Eupher]

Schumer blocked it.

Where are you getting that?

This story says something else entirely:

The bill next goes to the Senate, where majority leader Chuck Schumer has said his chamber will vote on the measure “as soon as possible”. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell has also endorsed the plan.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/14/government-shutdown-mike-johnson-proposal

The upshot is, Johnson's "laddered" and so-called "clean" CR was supported by the Dems and passed. All but two Dems voted for it with 93 Repubs voting against it.

The country is f'd again. Thanks, Johnson. 

A couple questions for anyone: Why would the Dems want to shut the gov't down? To play the blame game? They're very good at that and, as usual, the Republicans always look like the deer in the headlights when the gov't does shut down. I'm sick of this shit. Or is there some other kind of reason I'm not seeing?

[Drafe Hoblin]

Roy’s effort to block the rule on the clean CR was foiled after Johnson brought the spending package to the floor under suspension, allowing him to skate around the procedural motion with the requirement of a two-thirds vote to pass.

In doing so, Johnson placed the fate of the legislation into Democrats' hands, as it required the opposing party's support to pass.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/johnsons-honeymoon-phase-comes-to-end-

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said if the bill passed the House, he and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would move it swiftly through the Senate.

“Senate Leader [Mitch] McConnell and I will figure out the best way to get this done quickly,” said Schumer.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/14/house-passes-bill-to-avoid-government-shutdown-senate-to-vote-next.html

If 'quickly' means adjourning the Senate till after Thanksgiving, that's a 'block'.

And I'm saying that Johnson knew this is how it would play-out and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that he has a strategy to get the media to blame Schumer when the Government shuts-down.  Because so far, Johnson has crafted the appearance of a bi-partisan CR.

[Eupher]

Roy’s effort to block the rule on the clean CR was foiled after Johnson brought the spending package to the floor under suspension, allowing him to skate around the procedural motion with the requirement of a two-thirds vote to pass.

In doing so, Johnson placed the fate of the legislation into Democrats' hands, as it required the opposing party's support to pass.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/johnsons-honeymoon-phase-comes-to-end-

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said if the bill passed the House, he and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would move it swiftly through the Senate.

“Senate Leader [Mitch] McConnell and I will figure out the best way to get this done quickly,” said Schumer.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/14/house-passes-bill-to-avoid-government-shutdown-senate-to-vote-next.html

If 'quickly' means adjourning the Senate till after Thanksgiving, that's a 'block'.

And I'm saying that Johnson knew this is how it would play-out and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that he has a strategy to get the media to blame Schumer when the Government shuts-down.  Because so far, Johnson has crafted the appearance of a bi-partisan CR.

Thanks for your more detailed analysis.

Despite Johnson's "craftiness" with a so-called "bi-partisan" spending "clean" CR, we all know that the Republicans fall right into the Dems' hands each time they    "OMG!!! THEY'RE GONNA SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT!!!" and the Repubs wind up with the blame.

The "shutdown the gubmint" thing started under Reagan - probably the reason the Repubs continue to get the blame for said shutdowns. In the 80s, it happened under Reagan and Bush I eight times with shutdowns lasting up to three days. Under Clinton, it happened once. Under the Lightbringer, a 16 day shutdown was the longest with Barry's regime and the complicit media focusing on non-issues, like national parks being shut down. The biggest issue in that shutdown was the Republicans once again opting to shut down due to BarryCare.

No matter how you slice it, the Republicans - being the dolts they are and aided by a hostile media - wind up with the blame.