The House voted today, 254-175, to NOT shut down the government. Every Democrat and 34 more or less relatively mainstreamish Republicans voted to avert the shutdown. So who voted to shut it down? The nuts like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Kevin McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Madison Cawthorn, Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs, Jim Jordan... and Florida crackpot Byron Donalds. I asked the progressive Democratic candidate challenging him, Cindy Banyai, why Donalds would move so sharply away from the mainstream. She told me "It's no surprise that Byron Donalds voted to shut down the government today. It's in alignment with his Republican buddies and corporate sponsors' desire to scuttle and privatize the government. Everyday Americans are hurt when our government is defunct and defunded. We need our government for roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, and more. It's clear that Byron Donalds did not go to Washington, DC to serve the people or improve our government, but to destroy it."
Traitor Greene has been running around threatening her colleagues that they would be RINOs if they voted to keep the government open. Most of them see her as a crackpot to be ignored and steered clear of, but... she and her fellow lunatics, Lauren Boebert and Madison Cawthorn, are all over right-wing fringe media and being labeled a RINO by them in not a small thing in alternative universe.
I'm sure she didn't have to twisted Texas wing nut Roger Williams' arm to get him to vote to shut down the government. Many people are trying to draft Julie Oliver-- who ran against Williams and did really well but who was drawn out of the district-- to run in her new district (which is a new deep blue district). I hope she decides to. Meanwhile, though, she told me that "Williams stands for mindless obstruction. He also voted against the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act after 'representing' Ft. Hood for the last 9 years. What a disservice to the good folks who keep our country running and to the military men and women (and families). Par for the course as far as Roger's concerned."
Republicans in swing districts, however, knew they had no choice but to cross the aisle and vote with the Democrats, like Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Fred Upton (MI), Peter Meijer (MI), Andrew Garbarino (NY), Jay Obernolte (CA), Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA), Rodney Davis (IL), David Valadao (CA), John Katko (NY), Maria Salazar (FL), Carlos Gimenez (FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL) and Nicole Malliotakis (NY) all did.
One who certainly did not cross the aisle, even though he is in a swing district, was crackpot wing nut And Barr. His progressive opponent, Chris Preece, told me this evening that he's "thankful that the House Democrats and 35 Republicans had enough sense to avoid a shutdown. I'm sad to say my representative, Andy Barr, does not. Republicans like Barr continuously run on small government and less oversight, not because they care about money for you or making your life easier. They peddle this ideology because they want to see the government fail, to see our tax dollars be wasted and float to the rich, and to harpoon us back to feudalism. If they had it their way, we would be the UCSA (United Corporate States of America). Our states would be renamed after the largest corporations willing to pay the price like NFL stadiums, imagine Kentucky being renamed Walmart, and Georgia renamed Coke."
Earlier yesterday the bill passed the Senate, every Democrat plus 15 Republicans (including McConnell) voting to keep the government open. All the fringe-right senators voted no-- like Ted Cruz (TX), Rand Paul (KY), Bill Hagerty (TN), Tommy Tuberville (AL), Josh Hawley (MO), Ron Johnson (WI), Tom Cotton (AR), Roger Marshall (KS) and Marsha Blackburn (TN). But a couple of poseurs like Ben Sasse (NE), Rob Portman (OH), Jerry Moran (KS) and Marco Rubio (FL) joined them. Last night, Alan Grayson, Rubio's progressive opponent, told me that "Marco Rubio voted to shut down the Federal Government. Cut off the Social Security checks. Zero out the Federal Unemployment earned benefits. Send home the Border Patrol. Furlough the FAA’s Air Traffic Control. Rubio . . . just . . . doesn’t . . . care."
UPDATE: Still Holding The Line
As you know by now, last night progressives continued to hold the line and prevented Pelosi from obeying Biden's demand that she force a vote on the conservative hard infrastructure plan. Negotiations seem to be leading Manchin to move his stand from $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion today. If this also cuts back the time covered from 10 years to 5 years, it's a deal the Progressive Caucus should take seriously. Otherwise, not. Pelosi and Hoyer say there will be a vote today-- but they said that everyday this week. Pray for Pramila!
Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus indicated on a call Thursday night they still wanted to see the Senate approve the legislation-- and not just announce a new agreement—before they could support the infrastructure bill, according to an aide.
“It is an absurd way to do business, to be negotiating a multi-trillion dollar bill a few minutes before a major vote with virtually nobody knowing what’s going on,” Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told reporters, urging House liberals to hold their ground.