Conservatives in the House of Representatives are taking a firm stand, demanding that the government funding bill live up to the promises Republicans made in 2016. As this is written, it is not clear whether such a bill can pass the Senate, but it is crystal clear that establishment leaders such as Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy have been forced to give conservatives much of what they demanded.
The funding bill suspends portions of ObamaCare while excluding the billions of dollars of extra ObamaCare subsidies that Senate liberals have asked for. It provides for improvements in missile defense, a much-needed item given the threat from North Korea. It does not include legalization of Obama’s unconstitutional DACA, which will not be brought up unless tied to strong measures to secure the border, deport more illegal aliens, and protect American jobs from illegals.
Conservatives are rightly concerned that the funding bill is still not satisfactory since it leaves the military hobbled by spending limits mandated by a 2011 budget agreement. The GOP leadership has now promised to bring up a military funding bill that meets the requirements of many members of the Freedom Caucus.
Many Democrats in both houses of Congress are warning that they will never vote for a bill that increases defense spending and fails to grant a DACA amnesty. They also insist that DACA amnesty must not be tied to meaningful efforts to reduce the number of illegal aliens. Republicans will probably need 10-12 Democratic votes in the Senate in order to pass the bill over a filibuster.
Still, what could be better for Republicans than to have Democrats shut down the government over the issues of national security and enforcing the immigration laws? Already there is speculation that Democratic senators in states that voted for Trump will find it politically impossible to stick with their party, and will vote for the bill. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has pledged his vote.
This is exactly the dilemma Republicans should be forcing on Democrats. If enough Democratic senators break ranks, Republicans win a legislative victory. If Democrats remain united, they take the blame for shutting down the government over issues that are so extreme it will damage them politically.
But this is only happening because conservatives in the House have been willing to stand up to Ryan and McCarthy, insisting on a funding bill that advances the Trump agenda and is worthy of conservative support. It draws a clear line between conservatives and liberals. If anything will improve GOP chances in November, it is that approach.
The whole controversy is a reminder of the importance of the 2018 elections. If we can elect more Republicans who support the Trump agenda, it will be much easier to pass the President’s legislation.
If Democrats take over the House and Senate, instead of legislation we will see a Congress whose business consists of investigating and impeaching the President, while voting down the judges he nominates.
FedUp PAC is committed to nominating Republicans who will support the populist-conservative agenda of President Trump (especially when we can defeat an establishment GOP incumbent) and then replace as many Democrats as possible with those Republicans.
We demonstrated in 2016 that our careful targeting of swing voters could make a difference in close elections. We must do the same thing in 2018.
Your best donation of $25, $50, $100 or more will allow FedUp PAC to make an impact in 2018.
