The spending bill to keep the government open passed this week, but barely, and it surely was not because Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) managed to get the caucus on the same page.
He postured after the bill passed, but he really should have been thanking the Democrats who crossed the aisle to give him a win.
A total of 21 House Republicans voted against the bill, and that means against Trump, and I am sure Trump is creating a list.
The big challenge for Trump was to convince Republicans who wanted to attach the SAVE Act to the spending bill to back off.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) managed to get some detractors off their mark by promising to put the bill on the floor in a separate piece of business, but that did not work for everyone, simply because they know there will never be enough votes in the Senate to pass this.
Trump knew that if the GOP insisted on adding this legislation, which is to enhance election security, it would fail, so he came out against adding the bill earlier in the week.
Trump stated, "We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY. There can be NO CHANGES at this time."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was ready to dig in on defunding DHS, or at least ICE, knowing he had public support behind the cause.
However, Trump got on the phone and brokered a deal to deliver stopgap funding for DHS over the next two weeks, allowing Congress to find a fix that everyone can live with over the next two weeks, and then a long-term funding bill will be passed for the agency.
Trump encouraged everyone to support the bill, stating, “Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security. Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.”
Democrats are willing to go to war over this, with one aide stating, “If Republicans don’t do s--- for two weeks, DHS shuts down and there’s little incentive for us to reopen without the guardrails on ICE.” That was a warning shot fired at Thune who has yet take up healthcare concerns with Democrats after promising to do so during the first shutdown.
When I saw the list of people who did not support the bill, I was stunned that enough Democrats walked across the aisle to offset them.
Fox News reported, “Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., Eric Burlison, R-Mo., Kat Cammack, R-Fla., Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Randy Fine, R-Fla., Brandon Gill, R-Texas, Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Cory Mills, R-Fla., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Scott Perry, R-Pa., Chip Roy, R-Texas, David Schweikert, R-Ariz., Keith Self, R-Texas, Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., Greg Steube, R-Fla., and William Timmons, R-S.C.” all voted to block the bill.
If you look at that list, there are a lot of Trump allies on there, but there is also one name that continues to be a thorn in the side of Trump, that being Rep. Thomas Massie, who has been at war with Trump for months now.
Another name that caught my eye was Rep. Donalds, whom Trump has already backed in his gubernatorial campaign. I am not sure about Donalds, but I can guarantee you Massie is going to have to break the bank to defend his seat, as Trump will be gunning for him with everything he has now.
