Or Maybe They Just Don't Really Care That Much?
The Democrats have a chance to raise the minimum wage— before Trump does. But, as usual, they blew it… because they don’t really give a shit. So how could they have done it? The government runs out of money on Friday. MAGA Mike needs Democratic votes to pass a CR to keep it open. Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan reported that what’s been gumming up the works in “a late round of haggling over economic assistance to farmers as part of a one-year extension to the farm bill. This extension is supposed to ride on the CR. Initially, Hill leaders on both sides were envisioning a simple trade: They’d divert funding approved under the Inflation Reduction Act— money meant for the National Resources Conservation Service— in the budget baseline in exchange for direct economic aid to farmers.”
Then MAGA Mike decided he opposed that trade, “likely given,” wrote Sherman and Bresnahan, “the hyper-political nature of the IRA and Trump’s desire to gut the legislation during the next Congress. So Democrats smelled an opportunity. If Johnson so badly wanted direct economic assistance to farmers, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would ask for a pound of flesh in return. Democrats floated several asks:
The federal government would pay 100% of the cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. This could run to $2 billion or more.
A trade deal that would allow duty-free access for Haitian apparel and textile imports.
Reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which permits duty-free imports for hundreds of products from sub-Saharan African countries.
Funding to build museums on the National Mall to honor women and Hispanics.
The Second Chance Act, which aims to help the reentry of convicted criminals back into communities.
These are all nice things but they encapsulate why the Democrats have turned into a party of losers. Why not force a vote on a clean minimum wage bill, nothing fancy, but something at least a dozen or so Republicans could get behind? More important than the museums and duty free imports from Africa and Haiti and the bridge deal? What do these morons imagine the American people think? They look at the same polling we do.
Another question here is what happens to the massive health deal that congressional leaders were envisioning as part of the CR package. On Friday, we reported that congressional negotiators had cobbled together an agreement that would include a major overhaul for pharmacy benefit managers, reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act, Medicare telehealth flexibility extensions and an extension of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. This would be included in the CR as well.
Sherman and Bresnahan emphasized that Trump told MAGA Mike not to shut down the government; he doesn’t want any distractions. Still, Trump doesn’t want him giving away too much to get a deal and he knows there’s a floor vote for speaker looming on Jan. 3. Still, he’s got to get the ag money. Jeffries understands this, which is why he can press hard for concessions from MM— “especially with the speaker insisting on pushing for the agriculture payment provision. So there will be a deal. Democrats know Johnson must rely on them to help pass it, maybe even provide a majority of votes. House GOP leaders are probably going to have to take the CR up under suspension, meaning it will need a two-thirds majority to pass”
MAGA Mike “has spent his entire speakership vowing to avoid year-end, catch-all, ‘Christmas tree’ legislation. He’s resisted pleas from Democrats and Republicans alike to try to assemble an omnibus that would keep the federal government funded until next Sept. 30. Or even two minibuses. Or whatever entity or vehicles were necessary. But it’s now Dec. 16, with MM and other Hill leaders readying a CR that will fund the federal government until mid-March alongside a number of provisions that have little to do with broader federal operations. This legislation is going to attract a lot of opposition from House Republicans. Be ready for a food fight.”
