By J Robert Smith
- July 2, 2925
- 2-min read
Reports Breitbart, July 1:
“Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL) said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “The Briefing” that President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” domestic policy package passed by the Senate has at least 20 Republican Representatives who are currently no votes.”
Never put treachery or cowardice past RINOs. But bailing on Trump’s signature legislation would cost so-called moderate Republicans dearly. The president has a lot of tools in his toolbox to deal with recalcitrant House Republicans. There are dozens of favors that the White House could withhold from representatives who are up for election next year. Speaker Mike Johnson, likewise, could withhold monies and favors, including reelection support.
The leverage that the RINOs enjoy, however, is that the GOP has a razor-thin majority in the House. The Republican majority couldn’t function without the support of moderates. It’s something of a standoff, but an angry Donald Trump might not care. If moderates fail to support the continuing resolution, Trump is capable of going scorched earth.
What will happen is that Speaker Johnson and his team will make some accommodations to his members who have issues with the Senate version of the CR. The amended version will go to a conference committee (that’s a House-Senate confab) that will negotiate further compromises. The conference bill will then be voted on by the House and Senate.
Frost admitted that Republicans – moderates and fiscal conservatives like Chip Roy – are more than likely to cave. Said Frost:
“Now we’ve got to be honest all the time, the moderates on the Republican side always fold. They put up a little fight. So that way, they have some footage that they can put behind their ads during election time, and then they fold right away. The far right kind of Freedom Caucus folks, most of the time, they fold. Sometimes they stick to it. So we’ll see. Right now, we’re having conversations with a lot of them behind the scenes. But you, one of the most important conversations, the most impactful ones, are actually constituents and the people reaching out. That’s why the big strategy right now is delay, delay, delay. Every minute we keep this bill from passing, it becomes even more unpopular.”
There you have it. Delay is the Democrats’ big weapon. Mike Johnson and John Thune need to move heaven and earth to get balky Republicans onboard and pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill no later than next week, latest. Twist arms, trade favors – whatever. Get it done.