Last night California Blue Dog Jim Costa couldn't be bothered to show up and vote on the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act. That was at 7pm. At 4pm he was in the chamber to vote on the rule for the reconciliation bill. And Pelosi makes it really easy for members to vote remotely. But the Blue Dog piece of crap-- in one of the lowest turn-out districts in the country-- just could not care less about people having the right to vote.
It passed without him 219-212, every Democrat but Costa voting yes and every single Republican-- and they were all there-- voting no. What happened to all the Republicans the suck-ups in the Beltway media insist on a daily basis are "moderates?" Is that what Politico calls a "moderate" position?
What was once the GOP moderate caucus, the Wednesday Group changed its name to the Tuesday Group, then the Tuesday Lunch Bunch, then the Republican Main Street Caucus and, most recently, the Republican Governance Group-- a way of differentiating themselves from the crackpot shriekers like Marjorie Traitor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar, Mad Cawthorn and then others who think Congress is just about grabbing media attention for themselves.
There are two dozen members of the Republican Governance Group, which is chaired by John Katko of NY-24). Katko voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act... and so did all the members.
David Valadao (CA-21) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Fred Upton (MI-06) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Elise Stefanik (NY-21) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
David McKinley (WV-01) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Michael McCaul (TX-10) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Tom Reed (NY-23) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Rodney Davis (IL-13) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Jeff Van Drew (NY-02) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Mike Bost (IL-12) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Mike Turner (OH-10) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Michael Burgess (TX-26) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Bill Johnson (OH-06) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Steve Womack (AR-03) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Troy Balderson (OH-12) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Glenn Thompson (PA-15) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
Tom Rice (SC-07) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
David Joyce (OH-14) voted against the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Advancement Act
That's the lot of 'em-- all the media darlings constantly-- and misleadingly-- given the title "moderate."
Steven Holden is the progressive Democrat taking on Katko this cycle. This morning he told me that "It is of no shock that 'Johnny Come Lately' Katko voted against expanding and protecting voting rights. It is even more hideous that he voted against a bill named after his late colleague in the House, a man who literally gave blood in the fight for voting rights, and a man who bore the scars of that fight for the rest of his life. Katko wants to be the Chair of the House Homeland Services Committee, and he will take it however he can get it. One reporter recently told me that this is a new John Katko. He is afraid of either being primaried, as there is already a far right Trumper in the race, or having the district boundary redrawn to include MAGA Representative Claudia Tenney. Voting rights is a primary part of my campaign, for without it, every other progressive idea will never come to fruition."
"Yesterday," wrote Central Valley progressive congressional candidate and Delano mayor Bryan Osorio, "Valadao decided to vote against strengthening democracy for his district. He voted 'no' on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The Act would ensure voting discrimination against people of color and marginalized communities is prevented, yet, he did not find it necessary to increase access to voting for his community that is largely made up of minority groups."
Unlike Katko and Valadao, Gym Jordan doesn't pretend to be a moderate. He's an outright fascist and when questioned about why he voted against the bill, he tried changing the subject: "Thousands of Americans stranded in Afghanistan, fearing for their lives, and Democrats are focused on passing legislation to make sure states can't require photo ID." Senate Democrats have already agreed to photo ID.
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