12 Comments
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Handle's avatar

I just wanted to express my admiration and appreciation. Your articles are great: informative and well-written.

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Gabe Fleisher's avatar

Thank you!

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Derek's avatar

Same here 💯

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Rich Levy's avatar

Gabe, is there any reason that all Democratic members of the House cannot return to DC and stage a sit in to call attention to Republican's inaction and to pressure them to return?

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Lavanda's avatar

What a great read. It's appalling how little pushback Johnson is having from his fellow Republican representatives. As you say, it's not only that they are not voting, they are not advancing any kind of legislation.

I would like to add that being incredibly unproductive and having been out of session way more than usual was one of the factors that contributed to the Republican Congress of 2005-2007 being so unpopular. Another factor was how they tried to cover up a case of pedophilia within the House. History certainly rhymes.

To ask a question that I can't seem to find reliable information on: If the resolution for the release of the Epstein files passes the House, it still has to go through the Senate, right? I don't understand why Johnson and Trump are burning so much credibility in this fight when it would be so much easier to stop in the Senate with a filibuster

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Barbara Fox's avatar

Johnson is a very small minded shameful clown, who is obviously smitten with his temporary power. He actually scares me as he is so full of hypocrisy and seems to delight in the misfortune of others with answers riddled with sarcasm, when challenged. . When he said, “Well bless her heart” about Adelina Grijalva, the woman he refuses to swear in, I knew I was right about this sniveling imposter

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Maureen Simmonds's avatar

Release the Epstein files.

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Michael's avatar

A very interesting article. I especially enjoyed the part that explained that the House of Representatives still has parts of the FY26 budget that need to be passed. (Of course I really laughed when I discovered that we, the taxpayers, are still paying them to do absolutely nothing!)

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CC's avatar

What's stunning is that the Democrats wrote and passed the bill for the health and food add-ons during COVID and they even gave it an expiration date! - but now they want the Republicans - who hold the Senate, the House and the Presidency - to bend to their will and accept Joe Biden's budget. That's what ya call Chutzpah!

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Justus von Widekind's avatar

Thank you for this textbook example of framing.

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Scott Brenner's avatar

In what job, other then Member of Congress, could you just not show up but still get paid?

Article I, Section 6, clause 1 says "The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States." One could argue that they are NOT providing said "services" and are therefore not entitled to compensation.

And the 27th Amendment says "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened." That means the current Congress can't pass a law affecting compensation (e.g. "No pay during shutdowns") but they CAN pass a law changing things for a future Congress. If the Democrats ever regain control, that should be a priority.

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rlritt's avatar

Project 2025 :

Abolish Congress

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