A prominent leader in the House GOP claims that the House is moving towards a “nuclear” conflict due to disagreements over funding for Ukraine.
According to North Carolina’s House Financial Services Chairman, Patrick McHenry, there is a 50% possibility of a government shutdown occurring in March. The outcome will be influenced by House Speaker Mike Johnson’s concern of losing his position. Meanwhile, McHenry also predicts that the House will engage in a heated debate over funding for Ukraine.
“I believe there is a 50-50 chance of a shutdown happening at this stage,” said McHenry, a Republican representative from North Carolina, in an interview with CBS News on “The Takeout” this week. “This situation could have been avoided…If we had taken action in November or December, the outcome would likely be similar, if not slightly better.” He also noted that the political climate would be more favorable if action had been taken earlier.
According to McHenry, Johnson is struggling to adapt to the challenges of leading a small and unpredictable Republican majority. He also mentioned that the fear of losing his role as speaker looms over all potential scenarios involving a government shutdown.
In a post on social media on Monday, it was stated that efforts have been made to encourage House Republicans to approve funding for national security, with a focus on providing assistance to Ukraine, a topic that has been causing disagreements within the House.
Johnson and the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Charles Schumer, have already reached an agreement on the total amount of money to be spent on defense and domestic programs. The only remaining task is to allocate the funds to each individual spending bill, which could potentially face opposition from conservative House Republicans. According to McHenry, Johnson’s concern about this potential backlash may lead to a government shutdown.
McHenry stated that if the driving force behind the deal is fear, it will ultimately lead to a government shutdown. He believes that this will result in increased spending and reduced policy.
You have two options: either risk being removed from your position as a speaker, or live each day as if it were your final one.
McHenry stated that Johnson has a valid concern about the possibility of being removed from his position.
McHenry expressed a valid concern, as the previous person in this role was removed. He then offered a suggestion to Johnson, advising him to either face the possibility of being ousted as speaker or make the most of every day. By being an effective leader and achieving significant goals, one’s reputation improves and their chances of success in future deals are increased. While not perfect, taking action is viewed more favorably by the public than being indecisive.
McHenry played a crucial role in helping former Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California obtain his position. However, he still harbors resentment towards the eight House Republicans who joined forces with all House Democrats in October to oust him from the speakership. This resulted in McHenry having to serve as a temporary speaker while Republicans struggled through several rounds of voting and unsuccessful candidates before ultimately choosing Johnson.
McHenry stated that after considering five options, Mike Johnson was ultimately chosen as the fifth option. Johnson has not been involved in previous leadership decisions and has faced a challenging process. He has been thrown into a difficult situation and is currently learning how to handle it. The past few months have been challenging for him.
According to McHenry, the House Republicans are still disorganized after McCarthy’s resignation.
According to McHenry, McCarthy had a very successful 10 months as speaker. During that time, there were no failed rules. However, since then, there have been five failed rules, which is a poor record for the majority.
The majority party typically directs the functioning of the House. They determine the legislative agenda and ensure that bills are debated according to established rules.
“If you are the authority figure, you control the conditions of discussion. Failure to enforce this rule essentially grants the minority party the ability to dictate their actions on the House floor. This rule was never implemented during Kevin McCarthy’s tenure as leader. However, it has been utilized five times since then.”
According to McHenry, a significant number of House members are in favor of a bill providing aid to Ukraine and Israel. However, Johnson is blocking its progress.
According to McHenry, a large majority of both House Republicans and Democrats are in favor of the national security bill passed by the Senate, which provides military assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
McHenry stated that the majority of the House, around two-thirds, agrees with about 80 to 90% of the bill. The bill is expected to pass, but the process and timeline for its completion are still to be determined.
However, according to McHenry, the current obstacle is Johnson.
McHenry stated that a fundamental aspect of the House is that any speaker has the ability to block the majority’s decision on the House floor temporarily, but not permanently. He hopes that the speaker will eventually realize this in a logical manner.
McHenry stated that if Johnson does not change his stance and allow a vote on the Senate bill, there are two potential options to bypass him: a discharge petition or defeating the previous question. Both of these tactics would require cooperation from Democrats and Republicans in order to push the bill forward. However, McHenry believes that the chances of success for a discharge petition are only around 30%. Alternatively, defeating the previous question, which involves forcing an immediate vote on a bill not currently on the floor, is even less likely to be effective.
McHenry stated that this has not been done in many years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He compared defeating the previous question to a nuclear device and described it as a significant act of conflict. He also mentioned it as another method to bring the bill to the floor.
According to McHenry, the passing of Russian activist Alexey Navalny should encourage Republican politicians to back additional funding for Ukraine’s military and economy.
McHenry stated that it is important to bring attention to the oppressive government in Moscow, which has not shown any signs of improvement. This should serve as a reminder to policymakers of the gravity of the situation, as human lives and Western civilization are at risk. The first world is facing challenges and civil society is being tested. As the leading democracy, it is crucial for us to set an example for the rest of the world and provide a safety net for economic prosperity.
McHenry refuses to acknowledge the similarities Trump drew between his accusations and Navalny’s.
McHenry disagreed with former President Trump’s claim that the criminal and civil charges against him are similar to the persecution and assassination attempts that Navalny endured in Russia.
According to McHenry, although Trump may be facing political targeting by prosecutors, it cannot be compared to the brutality of the Putin regime. American legal system, in general or in terms of specific cases, is not comparable to the consequences of being imprisoned in the US versus any other country.
McHenry did not disclose his opinion on whether he believed Trump should face charges for his actions before and during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. However, he strongly criticized the advice given to Trump and his statements regarding the 2020 election.
According to McHenry, the president’s legal team displayed a great deal of foolishness during and after the 2020 election. He believes that many politicians made unintelligent remarks that will not hold up in history or in a court of law, or to anyone who values the Constitution.
Trump referred to the defendants involved in the Jan. 6 incident as “hostages.”
McHenry does not agree with Trump’s use of the term “hostages” to describe individuals who have been found guilty through either a trial or a plea deal for their involvement in the Capitol riot.
McHenry stated that our legal system functions effectively, but there is a tendency to use extreme language in order to gain more conservative political leverage. He also pointed out that in today’s social media-driven and politically charged climate, those who are the loudest and least intelligent are often perceived as the most conservative or liberal, disregarding actual policies. This is primarily for the purpose of gaining political support or funding.
However, McHenry stated that his decision to retire at the end of this term is not driven by frustration.
McHenry expressed contentment with the course they have chosen, but also expressed disappointment with the current state of Congress.
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Source: cbsnews.com