LEMON DROP | Republicans in Disarray as a Shutdown Looms
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Dems are in disarray, everyone. Oh, wait, scratch that. Sorry. Force of habit. I mean, actually, it is the Republicans who are in disarray. Desperate, hopeless disarray. And Trump hasn't even gotten into the Oval Office yet. So let me break it all down for you. It all centers around something that is called a CR, a continuing resolution. It's a fancy term for a short-term spending bill that, if passed, it allows the federal government to stay open and running, keeping the lights on. Now, you might think that CRs would be, that would be common sense, right? You'd think they would be easy votes. Nope. In fact, one could argue that they're why multiple Republican House speakers have lost their gavels. Kevin McCarthy.
What is a continuing resolution (CR) and why does it matter for a government shutdown?
The fact of the matter is there is a significant portion of congressional Republicans that will never vote to fund the government no matter what. And as a result, the House speaker, in this case it's Mike Johnson, has to turn to Democrats to keep the lights on. Democrats, understandably, ask for concessions in return for their cooperation. And those concessions, that's what pisses off even more Republicans. And that's when speakers can find themselves in big trouble.
Okay?
This most recent round of CR negotiations have been so long, so grueling, so arduous, it seems that we have come to a breaking point. You could see a GOP civil war unfold. I want you to watch the current House Speaker Johnson attempt to defend the CR on the news, on Fox News, yesterday.
We have a choice. We have to fund those. We have to fund FEMA. We have to fund our farmers.
Why are CR votes unusually difficult for House Republicans?
RIGHT, AND MR. SPEAKER, IT'S NOT JUST, SO YOU'VE GOT A BUNCH OF REPUBLICANS WHO ARE ANGRY AT YOU. THEY DON'T LIKE THIS. AND JUST IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, YOU'RE GOING TO STAND, ONCE AGAIN, TO RUN FOR SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. AND YOU DON'T NEED A BUNCH OF DEMOCRATS MAD AT YOU. BUT YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS BREAKING NEWS, YOU DO NOT KNOW, YOU KNOW WHO ALSO DOES NOT LIKE THIS? I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. ELON MUSK, THE WORLD'S RICHEST MAN JUST TWEETED THIS BILL SHOULD NOT PASS. THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PASS IT NOW, MR. SPEAKER, IS WITH DEMOCRATS.
Well, I was communicating with Elon last night. Elon and Vivek and I are on a text chain together. And I was explaining to them the background of this. And Vivek and I talked last night about almost midnight. And he said, look, I get it. He said, we understand. You're in an impossible position. Everybody knows that. Remember, guys, we still have just a razor-thin margin of Republicans. So any bill has to have Democrat votes. They understand the situation. They said, it's not directed to you, Mr. Speaker, but we don't like the spending. I said, guess what, fellas? I don't either. We've got to get this done because here's the key. By doing this, we are clearing the decks and we are setting up for Trump to come in roaring back with the America First agenda.
That's what we're going to run with gusto beginning January 3rd when we start the new Congress, when Republicans, again, are in control. And all of our fiscal conservative friends, I'm one of them. we'll be able to finally do the things that we've been wanting to do for the last couple years.
How did Speaker Mike Johnson justify seeking Democratic votes to pass the CR?
Right now, Democrats still control the pens, and that's the problem. So we've got to get this thing done so we don't have the shutdown, so we get the short-term funding measure, and we get to March where we can put our fingerprints on the spending. That's when the big changes start, and we can't wait to get there.
Right. Unfortunately for Speaker Johnson, it seems his so-called text chain with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, well, it didn't go so well. Shortly after Johnson's appearance on Fox News, Musk tweeted, and I quote, Yikes. Musk isn't alone in voicing his displeasure with Johnson. Fellow text chain member Ramaswamy said, also got in on the action.
Congress is about to pass a bill that blows away your taxpayer money, but they made it over 1500 pages long so you wouldn't read it. I did you a favor, I read it for you. It's supposed to be about keeping government operations open and providing disaster relief aid to hurricane victims, which I'm sympathetic to.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:41
2
What is a continuing resolution (CR) and why does it matter for a government shutdown?
0:41–1:31
3
Why are CR votes unusually difficult for House Republicans?
1:31–2:58
4
How did Speaker Mike Johnson justify seeking Democratic votes to pass the CR?
2:58–7:13
5
What role did Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy play in public reactions to the CR?
7:13–9:51