See the five updates below!
Everything Gaetz says in the video below is correct, but he is speaking in the language of congressional inside baseball. Below the video we are going to explain what is going on in plain English everyone can understand.
Republicans talk about this all the time on TV and at meetings back home; government is too big, spending is way out of control (especially after COVID), we need to defund certain agencies that are abusive and out of control such as the ATF, FBI, CDC and the FDA, we need to defund these illegal special prosecutors.
Keep reading to find out why all those talking points will not happen.
On the budget process, the current battle is for Congress to pass either a Continuing Resolution (CR), or to use Regular Order. The difference means everything.
What is a Continuing Resolution (CR)?
In a single up or down vote in funds the entire government at the previous year’s levels adjusted for inflation and cost of living for a year. It is just the expansion of government spending another 4-10% with no accountability. All the graft and waste of the last budget is amplified in the next.
Continuing Resolutions (CR) are supposed to be used for short term funding of the government while budget negotiations carry on when the previous year’s appropriations expire. For years CR’s have been abused to fund the entire government in a single up or down vote for an entire year.
When you see a Senate or House hearing where the FBI or some other agency simply refuses to answer questions, lies to Congress, and/or illegally resists constitutionally mandated oversight by Congress, you will often see the committee members threaten to cut their funding. Continuing Resolutions have been going on for so long that the threat of cutting funding is an empty one and everyone knows it. The yelling and threats of accountability are largely a show for your benefit.
Government is supposed to be funded by a process called “Regular Order.”
Regular Order means that the funding for the government is divided into 12 or 13 different appropriation bills covered by the jurisdiction of certain committees. The job of these committees is to go over the budgets of the various agencies line by line and take testimony from the public and interested parties. But doing their jobs is hard and cuts into their fund-raising time so members don’t want to do it.
When you hear about government funding idiotic projects like the study of LGBT nightclubs in Bangladesh; Congress has no ability to cut funding for this garbage because the government was funded using a Continuing Resolution.
Matt Gaetz, members of the Freedom Caucus and some other House Members are holding Speaker McCarthy accountable for his promise to return the House to Regular order.
The House had almost a year to get ready to pass real appropriation bills, have hearings, adjust budgets where needed, stop overlap, etc., but Speaker McCarthy, after promising to return to Regular Order, recently said that there wasn’t time for that and wanted to pass another CR.
This is the same Speaker McCarthy who has been talking about defunding abusive agencies and rolling back spending to pre-COVID levels. All of that goes out the window if Congress does not use Regular Order.
McCarthy and the Republican Leadership have made ZERO progress in moving forward Republican budget priorities in years even when they held the majority.
After the last budget and omnibus spending Republican Leadership said “Just wait until the debt ceiling fight, we will make progress there” - they caved. Then they said “wait until appropriations come back up, we will make progress there” - now the Republican Leadership wants to break their promises and cave again.
Matt Gaetz and his allies have had enough and are taking action. It is about time. Perhaps Mike Bost said it best.
UPDATE -
UPDATE - There are some highly misleading talking points going around. The big one is that Speaker McCarthy did push for Regular Order. Oh, really?
Speaker McCarthy only had since he was elected Speaker to start the appropriations process proper. He put it off, scheduled 3- and 4-day work weeks, often with Congress working 2-5 hours a day. Then he ordered that Congress take the month of August off.
Then Speaker McCarthy said there was no time for proper process and pushed a Continuing Resolution (CR) again - which just codifies the graft and waste and corruption even longer.
When Speaker McCarthy realized the Freedom Caucus was going to bail on the CR He started pushing for regular appropriations bills at the last minute. With no time for the requisite committees to go over agency budgets and spending programs line by line as they are supposed to, take in public input, take testimony from agency heads etc.
In fact, the GOP chair of the budget committee did not even show up to such a hearing to go to fund raisers.
Anyone calling that Regular Order has no idea what Regular Order really is.
Here is a crazy idea, how about Congress really do its job?
UPDATE II - Liz Wheeler on why Matt Gaetz is right, almost as if she read us:
UPDATE III - Jesse Watters: Kevin McCarthy Let the Swamp Run Wild:
Watters has Part II HERE and don’t miss AOC’s $500K for an anti-racist oyster reef!
UPDATE IV - Now Rand Paul agrees. Video HERE.
UPDATE V - Matt Gaetz from February 2023 explaining how the lobbying cartel runs Congress:
UPDATE VI - Gaveled Out: Return of The People's House (2023) | Full HD Short Film:
UPDATE VII - Tim Pool and Cast on McCarthy sabotaging conservative candidates in 2022:
An update from #politicalarena @ chucknorton on this post which makes ME wonder to the point of adding my personal “Opinion from a Sicilian”.
Opinion from a Sicilian: Kevin McCarthy è anche lontanamente americano? Il suo programma di lavoro è italiano; gli piacciono gli abiti costosi; Gli piace parlare con le mani e pensa che sia molto più facile fare affari che scrivere / digitare qualsiasi cosa. Gli piace prendersi il mese di agosto per "riflettere". Noi siciliani chiamiamo così Ferragusto.
The first incarnation of the August vacation was -not ironically- instituted by Caesar Augustus. The Roman emperor decided to link up the various festivities that took place throughout the month to create a longer period of rest from the year's labors. The tradition of feriae augusti dates back to 18 BC. Kevin must take this month VERY seriously because, well, it IS tradition after all. Kevin must have grafted in (because he is so spiritual) not only the remembrance of August 15th (Assumption of Mary into Heaven), but also because it’s TOO DARN HOT to wear a Saville Row suit for just a couple of hours each day! Those nasty dry cleaning bills in DC must be a pain! To ice the cake, Kevin has to make sure that the actual modern history of Ferragosto of present day is watered down.
Opinion From a Sicilian: FERRAGOSTO AND FASCISM - THE AUGUST “HOLIDAY” DURING WARTIME
The August desertion of the cities didn't really take hold until Fascism entered in. Mussolini had organized summer camps for families, called colonia estiva, where families could go to the sea or the mountains, participate in sports (and a bit of fascist indoctrination, of course).
#PoliticalArena @Chuck Norton
“Speaker McCarthy only had since he was elected Speaker to start the appropriations process proper. He put it off, scheduled 3- and 4-day work weeks, often with Congress working 2-5 hours a day. Then he ordered that Congress take the month of August off.”
Final Opinion From a Sicilian: The Former Speaker of the House failed to mention the fascist indoctrination of the former nice-guy (allegedly) Benito Mussolini and his dedication to Himself and to the people of Italia. Italia, (as well as a few parts of Europe) have mind-blowing sales during August, up to 75% off ALL luxury goods. Long live Capitalism! Tell them Kevin sent you! 😎
What did the third pig build his house out of??? BRIC(K)S #wakeupidiotsofamerica