Republicans Flock to Trump’s Trial, Risking Control of the House Floor

Rapidcreek@lemmy.world to politics @lemmy.world – 208 points – Republicans Flock to Trump’s Trial, Risking Control of the House Floor
nytimes.com

"The House was in session at the Capitol on Thursday, but thanks to the latest procession of Republicans reporting for duty in front of a Manhattan criminal courthouse to show support for former President Donald J. Trump at his trial, the party risked ceding its control of the floor,” the New York Times reports.

“Almost a dozen House Republicans showed up at the courthouse on Thursday…”

“Republicans control the House by such a slim margin, 217-213, that just two defections can sink legislation if all members are present and voting — and just a few absences can erase their majority altogether. The show of support for Mr. Trump from such a large group of members meant that for much of Thursday, the G.O.P. may have handed the floor over to Democrats, leaving themselves exposed on the House floor.”

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I'd like to see the flight expense claims from these House Repubs and whether taxpayers are funding their trips to kiss the ring in Manhattan.

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with these people? You go from being the "law and order" party to being the party of one of the biggest con men of the past century.

So now you know they were never actually a "law and order" party, just as they've never actually been a "fiscal responsibility" or "liberties and freedoms" party. These are just words they say to their base when it is convenient.

Law and order is a euphemism for free minority labor. Build the laws to keep jails full since those lameo historical killjoys made outright slavery illegal.

"Law and order" has always been a dog whistle for "oppressing minorities". They've just dropped the pretense, is all.

Conservatives have always been the "law and order" party.

They want to use the law to order you to accept their monarchy and their religion.

They're either "scared and stupid" or an amoral asshole aking advantage of the dumb folks.

God I hate that we treat politics like sports teams now.

We?

Only one side does this and literally covers everything they own with Trumps crap.

Have you seen the „both sides bad” posts lately?

Your election season starts more than a fucking year before the election. Americans are fucked up with their red/blue shit.

My dude, their election season never fucking ends.

They make their political shirts, hats and flags part of their fucking wardrobe.

Dems have been starting to do the same :(

Yeah. Just look at Bob Menendez. All the leftwing media is repeating his talking points, refusing to show/validate statements from the prosecutors, and outright calling the investigation a Republican witch hunt. Meanwhile, Democratic politicians are throwing themselves at his feet, talking about how far America has fallen, that a congressman can no longer line his jacket with money and hide gold bars in his house. I'm sure Biden is going to pardon the guy.

Nah, we treat it like sports teams, that goes for pretty much everyone. Maybe one side more than the other, but make no mistake, both parties treat it like sports teams.

Youre getting downvoted but if people would take time to consider what you are saying you are just flat wrong so ima go ahead and downvote. Thank you for your service.

I mean I'm not wrong. I don't care about downvotes at all. Thanks for commenting and wasting your time letting me know though.

But you are wrong. There are plenty of people that don’t treat it like sport. Maybe you don’t associate with any.

I guess its a team sport like if you consider a zombie apolocypse as team survivor vs team undead.

You have the rabid fascists trying to take this country through any means and actively strip away our rights. Then you have the people resisting them.

Then we have people like you watching from the sidelines saying both sides are dumb, but will be eaten along with rest if the survivors fail.

I never said which way I would vote. I completely agree that one side has gone full fascist. That doesn't mean we don't treat it like sports. It just so happens right now we have a state of politics in the U.S. right now where if you vote third party you're basically throwing away your vote making it more likely the Republicans win the elections.

That doesn't detract from my point, or make it invalid. We really need ranked choice voting, and then maybe we could stop treating it like sports teams.

People should take you seriously when Democrats start wearing diapers to support Biden.

You have that reversed.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-diapers-over-dems/

I have nothing reversed.

The poster I replied to was both-sidesing. I pointed out that when Biden supporters wear diapers in support of Biden (the same way Trump supporters wear diapers) then he'd have a point.

I follow. I missed your point entirely. Sorry about that!

It's all good bro.

Judging by my comment score, either I didn't make my point as well as I would have liked, or I made a few Trump humpers angry.

Two trump humpers in a trenchcoat holding a "genocide joe" sign

They know the Democrats don't have the balls to try and sneak legislative actions by when they're not there. They're too focused on decorum and wanting a strong Republican party to undermine the Republicans.

"Sneak" is a loaded term. I think what you mean is "do their job like they're supposed to and vote like they usually would." It's not like they're holding a secret/special session under the Republicans noses. They're just at work when they're supposed to be and others aren't. The alternative to "sneaking" legislative action in this case is just not doing their jobs for the day because a bunch of people decided not to show up. 12 people don't show up, so they send the other 400+ home for the day? Is that the moral expectation?

Good call. I fell for the trap I was upset about, it's literally just their job, but they won't do it the same way they didn't want to confirm judges near the end of Barrys second term.

This was not about being scared and more of a social contract

They would not select judges on the end of a presidents turn, based on the trust that the other party wouldn't either

As soon as one party stops holding to this unwritten agreement (as Republicans did under Trump), there is little to no incentive for the other party to continue abiding to it

Im sorry but "I made a tacit verbal agreement about choices that deeply shape the law of the entire country with an untrustworthy group of people who went on to break it when everyone was warning they would break it" isn't better. In fact that changes the narrative from 'Dems being too stuck to principles to make the right choice' to 'Dems are simply not intelligent enough to make the right choice', and either way they got played.

I can’t think of a better location for an asteroid to strike.

The Democratic Party should have legislation ready to go in just such a scenario.

Ok. That seems academic at best. With Mike Johnson as speaker, what would the dems be able to do to capitalize on their temporary majority? The Speaker would just refuse to hold a vote.

It looks like there is a work around for that, but it involves the Rules Committee, which is typically appointed by the Speaker. So, yeah, not possible, outside of some exceptions that I'm not sure I understand well enough to explain. Something about things that are "privileged".

Doesn't matter, the sadly the Dems can't get their shit together to pass something anyway

Yes, it does matter. You're blaming the dems for not getting their shit together to pass anything, when they literally can't. Mike Johnson, as speaker of the House, decides what can be voted on, and when.

Basic civics. I never even studied political science, but it's astounding how strong your opinions are on Dems failings when you don't even understand the basic rules of how our executive legislative branches work.

Throwing a lot of shade there when (I hope) you goofed and really meant legislative branch. I agree with your POV, but be accurate, if you're taking the road you're taking.

I mean, these idiots don't understand how the executive branch works either.

I thought that this is why they put the FART team in place, to guard the floor. Clearly they've weakened the FART, but as we all know, you should never trust a weak FART.

Please go support the Trumpster more often. Thanks.

They should oust Mike Johnson, and make Hakeem Jefferies the Speaker and change the rules so it requires a majority of democrats to oust him.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

The House was in session at the Capitol on Thursday, but thanks to the latest procession of Republicans reporting for duty in front of a Manhattan criminal courthouse to show support for former President Donald J. Trump at his trial, the party risked ceding its control of the floor.

House Republicans had a vote scheduled for Thursday afternoon to rebuke President Biden for his decision to pause an arms shipment to Israel and compel his administration to quickly deliver weapons.

Democratic leaders in the House had advised their members to vote “no,” calling the measure “another partisan stunt by Extreme MAGA Republicans who are determined to hurt President Biden politically.”

The group that showed up in Manhattan on Thursday was composed of lawmakers who rarely shy from disrupting legislative business in the Capitol or embarrassing the party on the House floor.

The Oversight Committee postponed a meeting scheduled for Thursday morning to vote on holding Merrick B. Garland, the attorney general, in contempt of Congress, rescheduling it for 8 p.m.

With five of the panel’s members — Representatives Andy Biggs of Arizona, Michael Cloud of Texas, Mike Waltz of Florida, Ms. Boebert and Ms. Luna — in Manhattan, the G.O.P.

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