House Republicans block $19.1 billion nationwide disaster aid bill for third time
Source: Washington Post
House conservatives blocked a bipartisan $19.1 billion disaster aid bill for the third time Thursday, once again thwarting Democrats efforts to pass the long-delayed legislation that is supported by President Trump.
The objection was voiced by freshman Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) after Democrats sought to advance the legislation via unanimous consent. Thats a process that can be used to pass bills when the House is not in session as it currently is not as long as no lawmaker objects. But Roses objection meant the bill that would deliver assistance to states and territories hard-hit by hurricanes, flooding and wildfires did not advance, just as happened twice in the past week with other conservative lawmakers stepping in to make the objection. Our nation is $22 trillion in debt, Rose said in brief remarks in a nearly empty House chamber. He said trying to pass nearly $20 billion in new spending was another act of irresponsible big government.
The conservatives say that such a significant piece of legislation should be debated and voted in full, not rushed through with the House out of session. Rose called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to bring lawmakers back to Washington during the week-long Memorial Day recess. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who was the first to hold up the bill last week, also complained because the bill excluded a separate emergency spending request for the border that the administration had asked for. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) blocked the bill on Tuesday. The House did approve by voice vote a two-week extension of the National Flood Insurance Program, which was set to expire on Friday.
The conservatives stance has angered Democrats and fellow Republicans alike, who have been trying for months to reach agreement on the legislation. But the hang-up is destined to be short-lived since the House will come back into session next week at which point Democratic leaders plan to bring the bill up and pass it under ordinary procedures.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-republicans-block-191-billion-nationwide-disaster-aid-bill-for-third-time/2019/05/30/17eb4b58-82e1-11e9-bce7-40b4105f7ca0_story.html
The GOP plan - Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
Original article and headline -
By Washington Post Staff
May 30 at 4:36 PM
Freshman Rep.John Rose (R-Tenn.) objected on Thursday as Democrats tried to pass the bill by voice vote. Approval of the measure will have to wait until next week when the full House is in session.
The legislation would provide billions of dollars in assistance to communities hard hit by hurricanes, flooding and wildfires. Congress will still have to get estimates on the damage from tornadoes and other disasters that have occurred in recent weeks.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2019/05/30/lone-republican-blocks-19-1-billion-disaster-aid-bill-third-time-gop-stops-house-passage-of-relief-for-areas-hit-by-natural-disasters/?utm_term=.2facd4ec7d74&wpisrc=al_politics__alert-politics&wpmk=1
dem4decades
(11,288 posts)forgotmylogin
(7,528 posts)Technically, they're not objecting to the legislation, they're objecting to it being handled summarily with a quick "we good on this?" and no debate. This prevents legislation from getting crushed through out of session. These specific objections are likely just Repubs enjoying pulling their best Mitch McConnell and throwing tire-spikes in the way of the Democratic House accomplishing something useful.
dem4decades
(11,288 posts)Response to dem4decades (Reply #1)
Raven123 This message was self-deleted by its author.
BumRushDaShow
(128,912 posts)since most members are not in town due to the holiday week. With a "unanimous consent", all you need is one person to "object" to the Unanimous Consent request and that kills it. Doing so would then require a full vote (either voice or roll call) which wouldn't happen until members are back in town next week.
Since the House is doing "pro-forma" sessions (gavelling in for "morning business" every 3 days), they were attempting to get this through faster as they know it would normally pass anyway and can get signed into law (no objection from the WH). This was the 3rd try at it.
The Republicans are of course being asses.
dem4decades
(11,288 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,912 posts)dem4decades
(11,288 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,912 posts)Response to BumRushDaShow (Reply #10)
trev This message was self-deleted by its author.
trev
(1,480 posts)Previous post deleted in error....
BumRushDaShow
(128,912 posts)who resigned to run for Governor last summer (and lost in the primaries to Bill Lee - most likely due to her horrible record of missing Congressional votes).
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/tn-elections/2018/11/06/republican-john-rose-wins-6th-congressional-district/1734265002/
mwooldri
(10,303 posts)One disapproval delays bill until house is in session (i.e. Monday).
I don't know if US House has guillotine measures (i.e. force things through quickly with little debate) but if they do, they should use them as soon as the house is back in session to get this emergency funding passed.
walkingman
(7,609 posts)Now this forces the full house to debate the bill after they return in a few days. The sad thing is they already debated the bill prior to sending it to the Senate. This just the GOP being obnoxious. Most of their constituents like that. How do you think Trump got elected. There are a lot of folks just like him.
dem4decades
(11,288 posts)Grins
(7,217 posts)"And because of that massive debt, we should repeal The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017!", the hypocritical Reich-wing weasel didn't add.
Tech
(1,771 posts)Just bless their southern hearts.
Tennessee just received $151 million in disaster relief March 22, 2019.
Kentucky received federal disaster assistance April 17, 2019
In Texas on February 26, hud gave additional $652 million in disaster relief.
I have no problem with helping those in need. I do have a problem with them taking help and then withholding it from others.
I am so sick of republicans playing their games.
BumRushDaShow
(128,912 posts)They are a bunch of selfish brutes.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Evolve Dammit
(16,725 posts)And they're enjoying it as their base eats it up.
BumRushDaShow
(128,912 posts)especially since he was willing to stay behind to plug up the works during attempts at "unanimous consent" legislation. Lots of articles about him doing this but here is one not behind a paywall (from over a decade ago) -
By RYAN GRIM
12/11/2007 06:01 AM EST
A typical bill moving through the Senate has a number of institutional hurdles to clear: subcommittee, committee, leadership and Coburn. Its that last one that you wont find in a textbook. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, has long been known as the Senates gadfly, crusading against wasteful government spending. In the last year, however, this gadfly has gone through a metamorphosis and is now more of a scorpion: If youre not careful, hell kill your bill. For that reason, Senate aides on both sides of the aisle now take legislation directly to Coburns office before moving forward to make sure he has no objections whether hes on the relevant committee or not. If he does, they often swallow their pride and make the changes hes asking for.
<...>
Although the Senate doesnt keep official records on how many holds senators employ, Coburns office does: Hes holding 95 different pieces of legislation for a variety of reasons. His jam-fest likely ranks as one of the most prolific in the history of the institution, said Donald Ritchie, an associate Senate historian.
If senators thought there might be a holiday reprieve in their efforts to get crucial spending measures passed, Coburn let them know otherwise in a letter last week. In the remaining hours of this session of Congress, he promised, I will not agree to any unanimous consent requests to authorize or appropriate increased spending or expand the size and cost of the federal government.
Coburn has the rules of the Senate in his favor. Its difficult to work around a senator. Ultimately, its a cloture vote. Its very time-consuming, and you cant do that on most issues, said Cardin.
https://www.politico.com/story/2007/12/the-bucks-stop-here-007310
Evolve Dammit
(16,725 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,912 posts)to Black farmers. I actually watched his objection arguments to the unanimous consent request for appropriations for the settlement payments. It took months of his continual blocks before they were able to finally get something passed in the Senate that covered his objections, and then moved to the House for final passage (House did it in a couple weeks), and finally to the President for signature to be able to start distributing the money that had already been approved by earlier legislation and USDA years before.
http://www.blackfarmers.org/html/100510.html
It finally cleared the Senate in early November 2010 - https://lasentinel.net/black-farmers-finally-get-senate-action.html and cleared the House and was ready for signature by the end of November 2010 - https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2010/11/30/statement-president-house-passage-claims-settlement-act-2010
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,956 posts)It's what you do.
duforsure
(11,885 posts)trump and the gop can pass a billionaires givaway trillions tax bill for them , but can't give a few billion for disaster aid to people in desperate need anything.
no_hypocrisy
(46,094 posts)for at least the near future should be dedicated to paying down the $22 trillion debt (mostly created by the Republicans) and no monies should be spent on disaster aid or anything else?