we still have Susan and Lisa, and Jeff and John, and . . .
Reading Clarice at American Thinker: Springing Forward (excerpt)
“Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, unhampered because of the filibuster rule, which allows them to block any budget not supported by a Senate supermajority of 60, and aware of the desperate need of our military for funding, publicly rejoiced that they were able to force through Congress a ridiculously extravagant budget.
“…(but now) the political left is getting nervous because a virtuous and lawful reduction in federal spending is suddenly looking much more likely…” (And, House Speaker Paul Ryan is reportedly on board.
“Specifically, Ryan likes the idea of paring back the huge spending hikes in the recently enacted budget bill. While the budget required 60 votes in the Senate and therefore Democratic support, a “rescission” bill to repeal the spending increases needs only a simple majority in each house. …
“It’s a chance for Republicans to honor their promises of spending restraint and redeem themselves with a base turned off by the omnibus blowout.”
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In her column, Clarice Feldmann explains how “recission” would work, and how the GOP congress could get it done. It is a rather optimistic, upbeat story, however, we have some reservations about the procedure which tends to dampen our own enthusiasm.
While Ms. Feldmann notes that it requires only a simple majority of both Houses to pass the bill, permitting President Trump to get the spending cuts he sought in the Omnibus bill, and Congressional Republicans agreed . . . or said they did, it nevertheless requires 50 Republican votes in the Senate. There is simply no predictable Democrat to vote for cutting spending on anything other than defense or border control. Not Phony Joe Manchin. Besides, Democrats know how to discipline their caucus and are willing to do so to protect their platform. Republicans let their apostates control.
And thus, the source of our pessimism.
There are 51 Republican Senators. Among them is Susan Collins, never a reliable vote for the GOP, and one who would never countenance a cut in funds for, say, Planned Parenthood. We also have outgoing senator, Jeff Flake, a very reliable anti-Trumper and certainly seems unlikely to vote for anything that might seem to give the president any perceived win, especially as a spending cutter.
Then, of course, there’s Senator McCain…who needs no further introduction as any kind of GOP loyalist. And there are others who, for their own reasons may not be necessarily counted as sure supporters of “recission”. Some may even seem likely supporters, but I have my own doubts about Mike Lee of Utah as an example. And he is one I had once thought was a dependable conservative, but in my opinion has behaved rather erratically of late.
But, after all, this is Washington.
In her usual excellence, Feldmann reports on other key matters in this column and we urge readers to check it out.
DLH with R Mall
More reading about the rescission tactic:
The President’s Trump Card for Spending Restraint
And about the atrocity that is the Omnibus bill
The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Act
