MAGA Mike's Transportation, Housing & Urban Development Appropriations Bill: Too Lame To Be Voted On

The MAGA Mike nuts have been voting on H.R. 4820, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill— or at least on amendments to the bill. Amendments like Marjorie Traitor Greene’s nonsensical proposals

• “Reduces the salary of Secretary Pete Buttigieg to $1”

• “Reduces the salary of Secretary Marcia Fudge to $1”

• “Prohibits funding for the Department of Transportation's Climate Change Center”

which she claims passed. The House Clerk has no record of any of them passing. Virtually all of the extremists’ amendments failed. None of these passed, just wasted everyone's time:

• Keith Self (R-TX): “Prohibits funds to be used towards implementing, administering, or enforcing the Equity Action Plan of the Department of Housing and Urban Development established pursuant to Executive Order 13985 entitled ‘Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government’”

• Ralph Norman (R-SC): “Reduces the salary of Julia Gordon, Assistant Secretary for Housing and the Federal Housing Commissioner, to $1.”

• Ralph Norman (R-SC): “Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to be used for the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity of the Department of Transportation.”

• Ralph Norman (R-SC)- “Prohibits use of funds for the consideration of the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (SC-GHG) in the development and implementation of budgets, federal procurement processes, or environmental reviews.”

• Kitara (R-NY): “Defunds the Office of Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.” (Defeated 318-112, 106 Republicans joining all the Democrats.)

• Kitara (R-NY): “Reduces the salary of Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, to $1.”

• Chip Roy (R-TX): “Prohibits funds from being used to implement any of President Biden's executive orders on climate change.”

• Eric Burlison (R-MO): “Prohibits funds for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.”

• Eric Burlison (R-MO): Prohibits funds for any infrastructure project, including for highway construction, to any sanctuary state or city.”

• Glenn Grothman (R-WI): “Reduces funding for the community development block grant program by 50%.”

• Glenn Grothman (R-WI): “Prohibits the use of funds to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Diversity, Equity Inclusion and Accessibility.”

• Troy Nehls (R-TX): “Prohibits funds made available by this Act for the Low or No Emission Vehicle Program.”

• Troy Nehls (R-TX): Reduces the salary of Ann E. Carlson, Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to $1.”

• Andy Ogles (R-TN): “Prohibits funds from being used to purchase or lease a vehicle for use by the Secretary of Transportation.”

• Andy Ogles (R-TN): “Prohibits funds for air travel by the Secretary of Transportation other than in economy class on a commercial flight.”

• Scott Perry (R-PA): “Eliminates funding for Grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.”

• Russell Fry (R-SC): “Prohibits the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce any Federal law, rule, or regulation that would require an individual to wear a mask on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs.”

• Mary Miller (R-IL): “Prohibits funds for the Secretary of Transportation to travel by gasoline powered vehicles.”

I asked Ted Lieu (D-CA), a member of Democratic leaddership, why the House had turned into a circus over these appropriations bills MAGA Mike is pushing through. He reminded me that "When Democrats were in control of the House we put people over politics and passed landmark legislation to rebuild our national infrastructure, reduce prescription drug costs, make historic investments in green energy, and bring the US economy back from the brink following the COVID-19 pandemic. What are Republicans doing with their majority? Well, when they aren't engaged in a petty GOP civil war or fighting over who should be Speaker, they are kneeling at the altar of MAGA extremism and passing ridiculous bills that have no chance of becoming law. The US government is a week away from a shutdown and Republicans keep wasting precious time on the House floor. This past week alone I've had to vote on stupid measures to reduce the salaries of various senior government officials to $1. Meanwhile the base text of their latest appropriations bill would have a far more damaging impact if it ever became law. The bill Republicans brought to the floor this week would hinder the IRS’ ability to make sure wealthy tax cheats and corporations pay their fair share. The bill also prohibits funding to carry out diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or Executive Orders related to DEI in agencies covered by the bill; prohibits funding from being used to provide an abortion or abortion-related services or for gender-affirming care; and would allow for the concealed carry of handguns in Washington, D.C. We have a lot of very real challenges both at home and abroad. These are serious times and they demand serious leadership. Sadly the current House majority would rather cater to their MAGA base than work with Democrats to actually govern." To show that what a rational amendment looks like, Lieu offered one: “Prohibits funds from being used to discriminate against LGBTQI+ individuals or those in same sex marriages.” (The Republicans refused to allow it to be voted on.)

All the MAGA amendments failed but MAGA Mike pulled the bill when his whip team told him they don’t have enough votes to pass it (in part because New York Republicans have been opposed to the Amtrak/transit cuts, which is why it didn't receive a vote last week either. Some of the extremists are demanding Amtrak being defunded and eliminated entirely.

The bill probably won’t come up for a vote this week. Biden had already said he would veto the bill— in the unlikely event that it made it through the Senate— because it would cut Department of Transportation funding by $7 billion compared to this year’s levels, $1.2 billion from HUD funding and nearly $4 billion from EPA funding. The White House reminded MAGA Mike that the bills would undercut an agreement reached by administration officials and GOP lawmakers in May on spending as part of negotiations to raise the debt limit. “House Republicans had an opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process, but instead are wasting time with partisan bills that cut domestic spending to levels well below the [Fiscal Responsibility Act] agreement and endanger critical services for the American people. These levels would result in deep cuts to clean energy programs and other programs that work to combat climate change, essential nutrition services, law enforcement, consumer safety, education, and healthcare.”

One of Traitor Greene’s amendments to H.R. 4664, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act “Prohibits funding for the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention” and another “Reduces the salary of Danny Werfel, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, to $1.” Not be be outdone in craziness, Georgia freshman Mike Collins introduced an amendment that would defund Vice President Harris’ office. 106 Republicans [above]— including most of the out-and-out freaks from Boebert, Jordan, Ogles, Traitor Greene, Good and Mace to Rosendale, Perry, Biggs, Gosar and the closet case contingent (Patrick McHenry and Jason Smith)-- voted for it. By the way, earlier this morning MAGA Mike pulled the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act as well-- and for the same reason: he can't come up with enough Republicans willing to vote for that shitburger.