No Dock, No Bay -- Wastin' Time Anyway
"Look like nothin's gonna change" (until November!)
House Appropriation Bills Stalled
Two weeks ago, we posted here the following:
“The House of Representatives returns today from its July 4 holiweek, and will be in session until Thursday afternoon. Then it’s off again for another ten days. Fortunately, they’re scheduled to return on July 22, because that will allow for eight full legislative days before leaving for Summer Break — all of August and the first week of September. If you haven’t been counting along, that’s a total of twelve days in session between now and September 9.”
It’s Wednesday, July 24th — six legislative days until Sept. 9.
As a point of reference, the new fiscal year (FY 2025) begins on October 1, 2024. To provide for government operations, twelve appropriation bills must be passed by both the House and Senate and signed by the President by September 30. So far, only four of the twelve bills have passed the House. But hey, there’s another twelve legislative days in September, so what’s the rush, right?
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is clearly feeling no urgency to get this done. MAGA Republicans are passing bills with provisions that won’t pass the Senate, guaranteeing more delays.
As we all remember, last year Republicans threatened a government shutdown by failing to pass funding bills on time. This was part of the drama that culminated in Kevin McCarthy’s loss of the Speakership. But unlike last year, Congress will be in recess for the first six weeks of FY 2025. Because of the election, there will be zero legislative days from the end of September until the middle of November.
As we also remember from last year, Congress can pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) which authorizes current spending levels to continue for a specified period of time. And it’s looking like that’s what will happen again this year. Normally, such a move would not be necessary. Ordinarily both chambers pass the twelve appropriation bills in a timely manner so there’s no disruption of government services. But of course, there’s nothing normal or ordinary about the 118th Congress.
So with all that context, are you curious about what’s been happening on the House floor so far this week?
On Monday, the House voted to name two post offices and three VA facilities. They passed bills to require congressional testimony by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on projects that are over budget and behind schedule. And they passed a bill requiring that only domestically made American flags be purchased by the U.S. Government.
On Tuesday morning, two Appropriation Bills were finally introduced: Energy/Water and Interior/Environment. Neither was passed as the rest of the day was spent considering and passing amendments. These would prohibit funding for such things as the export of nuclear materials to China (not happening anyway), the production of lab-grown meat (not presently feasible), and the presentation of drag shows at the Smithsonian Institution (has there ever been one?).
More significantly, other amendments would prohibit funding for issuing energy conservation standards for water heaters and ice makers, for implementation of plans to reduce industrial carbon emissions, and for any study of “social costs of greenhouse gases.” And then of course, there are the amendments denying funding for the promotion of voting access or offices of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Around 7:00 pm Tuesday evening, Lauren Boebert (R-CO) introduced a series of amendments reducing the salaries of the EPA Administrator, the Interior Dept. Communications Director and the Director of Ocean Energy Management to $1. None of those passed, but another reducing the salary of the Secretary of the Interior to $1 did pass. And her amendment transferring funds from the EPA’s Science and Technology account to the Inspector General’s account to combat “waste, fraud and abuse” was successful, as were a few others defunding DEI projects, greenhouse gas reduction efforts, and even a bicycle subsidy benefit program.
Working late into the night, the House considered amendments targeting trans health care, de-funding the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
When they finally adjourned at 11:15 pm, two days had gone by and not one of the eight remaining appropriation bills has been passed.
Today, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be addressing a joint session of Congress so no substantive legislative activity is expected to take place. That leaves tomorrow and four days next week, according to the published schedule.
However, earlier Tuesday Capitol news site The Hill reported that Speaker Johnson is considering cancelling next week’s sessions. Republicans are expecting that the bills won’t pass anyway, as members from swing districts resist some of the more extreme provisions being proposed. And there’s no desire to showcase very real divisions in the Republican Party, still lurking just below the surface of a faux unity.
The prospect of another round of funding by CR’s is growing more likely by the day.
What about the Farm Bill?
Last month, we reviewed some aspects of HR 8467, the “Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2024,” usually referred to as The Farm Bill. You can find those posts here and here.
The current Farm Bill also expires on September 30, but so far neither the House nor the Senate has passed their version of the new one.
At the Republican convention last week, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) , ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee, were interviewed by CNN reporter Meredith Lee Hill.
Mr. Thompson suggested the upcoming election wouldn't change how Republicans approach the farm bill negotiation process in the coming months. Mr. Boozman, however, said farmers would be "better off" if lawmakers passed another farm bill extension this fall to allow more time to improve key federal programs.
So there you have it — the 118th Congress fading into history.
Watchin’ the tide roll away . . . Wastin’ time.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, right, holds a pen as President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in the East Room of the White House on June 17, 2021. (Angerer/Getty Images)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18) has died.
Her family released this statement on July 19, 2024:
Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas.
A fierce champion of the people, she was affectionately and simply known as "Congresswoman" by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years.
A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children.
Her legislative victories impacted millions, from establishing the Juneteenth Federal Holiday to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. However, she impacted us most as our beloved wife, sister, mother, and Bebe (grandmother). She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy. God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America.
“Ms. Jackson Lee, a Democrat who served 14 terms advocating for her Houston-centered district and the Constitutional rights of all people, will be remembered as the "Voice of Reason" in the halls of Congress. Upon her death, she was on three Congressional Committees: a senior member of the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security and the crucial Budget Committee.” -Ebony Magazine
The 18th district is heavily Democratic, but her seat could remain vacant until as late as May of 2025. Texas law requires a special election, but Republican Governor Greg Abbott could legally delay ordering that election for several months.
Kamala Harris ! !
The groundswell of support and enthusiasm for Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee is energizing volunteers across the country. With a growing likelihood that Ms. Harris will be standing on Capitol Hill to take the oath of office on January 20, we need to assure that she’s empowered by Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate.
Here’s What We Can Do Now
There are three extremely reliable sources for volunteers looking for a way to effectively direct their efforts:
Jessica Craven’s Chop Wood, Carry Water, a daily notification of EASY actions you can take to make a difference.
Robert Hubbel’s Today’s Edition Newsletter, a wise and inspiring commentary on news of the day, along with updates on the work of dozens of grass-roots election activist organizations
Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium Chronicles
Mr. Rosenberg has endorsed 12 candidates running for the U.S. House in 2024. All of these races are in Republican held seats, are the most likely to flip, and they will determine control of the House.
Here are those twelve candidates, along with links that will help connect you to volunteer efforts on their behalf. (“Watch my interview with…” links refer to Simon Rosenberg’s interview.)
You can find photos and brief bios of each here: Winning the House in 2024
Andrei Cherny - (AZ-01) - Donate to Andrei | Volunteer | Learn more | Watch my interview with Andrei
Kirsten Engel (AZ-06) - Watch My Interview With Kirsten | Donate | Volunteer | Learn more
Adam Gray (CA-13) - Donate to Adam | Volunteer | Learn more
Rudy Salas, CA-22 - Donate to Rudy | Learn more
George Whitesides, CA-27 - Watch My Interview With George | Donate | Volunteer| Learn more
Will Rollins (CA-41) - Donate to Will | Volunteer | Learn more
Tony Vargas (NE-02) Donate to Tony | Volunteer | Learn more
Sue Altman (NJ-07) - Donate to Sue | Volunteer | Learn more
Laura Gillen (NY-4) - Donate to Laura | Volunteer | Learn more.
Mondaire Jones (NY-17) - Donate to Mondaire | Volunteer | Learn more.
Josh Riley (NY-19) - Donate to Josh | Volunteer | Learn more
Janelle Bynum (OR-5) - Watch My Interview with Janelle | Donate | Volunteer | Learn more
In addition to the twelve listed above there is a race in Wisconsin’s 8th district that this network is supporting and is worthy of your attention. Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an OB-GYN pro-choice activist is running to replace Republican Mike Gallagher, who resigned last March.
With access to abortion winning majority support even among Republicans, Dr. Lyerly could possibly flip the seat.
Should she be elected, Dr. Lyerly would be the only pro-choice OB-GYN in the House.
To help support Kristin Lyerly’s campaign, visit her website: www.KristinForWisconsin.com
This is a network of ordinary citizens. In a democracy, we exercise our power by raising our voices. To be silent is to be powerless.
One reform that isn't often mentioned but might be very effective in focusing Congressional attention on their jobs would be suspending their salaries in the absence of properly approved Budget and Appropriations bills. It's bad enough that they only work about 200 days a year, but when even those few days are wasted, that is unacceptable.
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