Republicans in the House have done a lot over the last few weeks to show just how unserious they are about governing. But this story from Punchbowl News may contain the most jaw-dropping example of how little concern they have for conducting the nation’s business.
The House GOP leadership has told us they may have to push back consideration of the $14 billion Israel aid package because of expected attendance issues today. Several lawmakers are flying to Texas for former President Donald Trump’s rally in Houston.
That’s right. New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson broke aid to Israel off from Ukraine. Then he planted a poison pill in the legislation by making it dependent on taking money away from the IRS. Now Republicans can’t be bothered to vote on their legislation because they have to hustle down to Texas to cheer on a man facing 91 felony indictments. That’s how little they care about this issue. Or any issue.
And even that may not be the strangest part of this story. Because Trump’s Texas rally has all the signs of being the kind of disaster that makes Rudy Giuliani’s appearance at Four Seasons Landscaping seem like a stroke of genius.
Trump’s rally is set to take place not at a stadium or similar venue, but at Trendsetter Engineering—an oil and gas service company that specializes in offshore drilling. Presumably, Trump’s planners chose this location because Trump wanted to hammer home his support for fossil fuels while he was in the Houston area. The problem for Trump is that this is Trendsetter Engineering.
Presumably, some of the rusty pipes and bits of old rigging will be shoved aside in time for Trump’s appearance. Maybe his advance team plans to set up some stands in the grass or take over one of the warehouses to give Trump a place to speak. But what they’re unlikely to manufacture for today’s event is parking space.
Not only is there nowhere for even a medium-sized gathering to park, but this location is right off a heavily trafficked highway, on a road that ends just beyond these greasy warehouses without so much as a shoulder to accommodate late arrivals. It’s also at a complex intersection where cars depart the highway at an unusual angle and getting back on is something of a trick.
Last night, Trump supporters got fundraising emails claiming that “Joe Biden has declared he will ruin President Trump’s huge rally in Texas…” But it’s not President Biden who is worried about this event, it’s city officials in Houston. Their worry isn’t political. It’s just that if anyone shows up for this Thursday afternoon event, Houston’s legendarily bad traffic could become even worse. There are already plans to close some exit ramps for two hours to prevent a backup onto the highway.
Considering the location and time, officials may be overly concerned because Trump’s attendance could be minuscule. But if Trump gets more than a handful, then his mission to promote using more oil will be successful because Houston commuters will be burning a lot of it while idling in their cars.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.
