As if Americans need another reminder that the GOP majority is a disaster when it comes to running the House of Representatives, the recent negotiations over a government spending bill showed their utter dysfunction—again.
“It’s highly disappointing that, after two years in the majority, we have virtually nothing to show the American people in return for them trusting us with the majority,” said Rep. Bob Good of Virginia in an interview with NOTUS. “In other words, every significant piece of legislation that’s become law has been passed with predominant Democrat votes in the House.”
The party famous for its “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” ethos is shockingly good at avoiding any actual work. Instead, House Republicans are busy eating their own and proving they suck at governing.
As the 118th Congress’ second (and final) session comes to a close, House Speaker Mike Johnson is navigating tricky waters. Tension between the far-right faction and more moderate Republicans surfaced once again as they grappled with funding allocations, the specter of a government shutdown, and GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s continuous meddling.
The latest Republican infighting swirled around linking a spending bill to a measure requiring proof of citizenship to vote. Instead of focusing on the critical matter of keeping the government funded, the GOP-led House and Johnson decided to kick the can down the road by temporarily funding the government until Dec. 20—avoiding a potentially catastrophic shutdown before the election, but still nowhere near an effective solution.
As reported by Daily Kos, Democrats plan to seize this opportunity to highlight the dysfunction and hopefully take back the House majority. Vice President Kamala Harris took the initiative by investing $25 million out of a staggering $678 million campaign war chest in downballot races earlier this month. The goal: regain control of the House and keep the Senate majority, so a future President Harris can get her agenda passed in Congress with little gridlock.
None of this bodes well for so-called government efficiency, especially in light of Trump’s vaguely threatening promise to create a commission aimed at improving it if he is elected—with the help of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, of all people.
“I keep him apprised all the time of everything that’s happening because he is our nominee for president and he’s going to be the next president,” said Johnson about Trump at a Tuesday press conference. “So we’ll continue working closely together. I’m not defying President Trump. We’re getting our job done, and I think he understands that.”
Republicans have turned on their own before. In October 2023, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by a far-right faction led by Rep. Matt Gaetz after a similar spending fight.
The GOP’s ineptness is not new. Even with a majority, Republicans haven’t found a way to govern effectively and pass a conservative policy agenda. The New York Times reported that the Republican-led House passed only 27 bills that became law in 2023, despite bringing a staggering 724 votes to the floor during that calendar year.
Americans are watching as Congress bungles the tasks they were elected to accomplish: govern themselves and pass legislation. And voters will share their job performance reviews at the ballot box in November.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.
