Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog

The Good News is that the rules package that was agreed to as a condition for Kevin McCarthy’s speakership has passed with only one GOP member voting against.

There was always a chance that there would be a block voting against it which would have really crippled the GOP in congress this session but apparently cooler heads prevailed.

There are also some excellent provisions in the package including one that, while good in principle will make at least this session of congress a tough one for the GOP agenda.

The rules package says bills must be on one subject only. This was actually a reform that was first included in of all places the confederate states constitution to prevent the kind of horse trading that was common (vote for my river being dredged and I’ll vote for your port improvements) that had been abused by earmarks lately.

It’s a big win for transparency but it also means that deals with the Democrats in the senate will be tough.

While the House has the power of the purse without passage in the senate and POTUS signature none of those house initiates can pass, so deals will have to be made and all such deals will require some sort of a quid-pro-quo. You give me what I want and I’ll give you what you do. In fact with the need to please both the white house and the senate it will likely be a quid-pro-quo quo.

In theory of course you can have say three bills pass to provide those two quos and a quid but the problem is with a party notorious for lying concerning deals do you dare risk something in three bills that might pass in one?

Now if the plan is to simply stop the Biden agenda this won’t be an issue but if you want to get any kind of legislative solutions during this session it could be fatal.

It will likely be worth it but the GOP needs to set expectations with their base because if they don’t it could end up biting them.

You have been warned.