Submitted by Renee Parsons
In anticipation of the Continuing Resolution which was especially controversial given a historic $34 trillion debt was basically untouched as the CR was approved in both houses of Congress with not one iota related to closing the gate at the southern border as it continued funding for Ukraine and Israel. In case you had not noticed, the name of the CR was the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2023 (HR 2872). If that does not hint that the entire CR – Budget Omnibus process is antiquated, irrelevant and otherwise needs to be replaced by single subject appropriation bills on an annual basis, what more can I say.
In any case, the Senate CR was adopted Thursday morning with a 77 – 18 roll call with 26 Republicans voting with Dem majority. The majority of the 26 are predominately Uniparty Senators while the 18 Nay votes were all Republican as were the 5 Not Voting Senators. With only 10 Republican Senators up for re-election, in 2024, there is little opportunity for making significant inroads eliminating its Uniparty collaborators; however, there are 20 Democrat Senators in the running, many of which are vulnerable with serious Republican contenders in the wings; warming up to bring them down.
The bill was then rushed to the House within what seemed like minutes for a vote so Members would not be inconvenienced by an approaching snowstorm; the CR will extend until March 1 and again on March 8th when the entire unwieldly, cumbersome, grossly inflated process will begin all over again.
Almost immediately after Senate passage, the Senate-adopted CR was on the House floor. The final roll call vote in the House was 314 – 108 with eleven House Republicans Not Voting. Requiring a two-thirds vote, 108 conscientious Republicans voted to plug the border, reduce Pelosi/Biden spending levels and were willing to shut down the government to further reduce the strangling debt. Apparently unaware of the dire fiscal implications or perhaps with little interest in the country’s future, 107 Republicans (including Speaker Johnson) voted with the Democrats as mostly Uniparty, some of whom have already announced retirement and yet saw fit to vote with the Dems.
In other words, there was no language in the final bill to address the overwhelming flood of illegals at the southern border nor any attention to the massive budget deficit. Again, as with the Senate bill, March 1 and March 8 will be the next opportunity to seriously address the $34 Trillion budget or take action to close the southern border unless Secretary Mayorkas is impeached by then.
Even as the Senate Continuing Resolution (HR 2872) was on the Senate floor, the Israel – Gaza conflict made its way with an amendment to ‘limit foreign assistance to the Palestine Authority and any other Palestinian government entity in Gaza or the West Bank.” AIPAC scored when the Amendment failed on a 44 – 50 roll call with all Republicans voting Aye as all Democrats voted Nay with 6 Republicans Not Voting.
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On another related matter, it is no secret that AIPAC has the entire Congress pretty much wrapped up tight when it comes to floor votes endorsing its latest outrage or even just a meaningless resolution pledging its undying legislative troth. However as the attacks in Gaza on defenseless civilians continue, the Zionists in Israel as well as US Zionists have revealed their willingness for a civilian population to suffer at the hands of American bombs, armaments and strategic assistance.
While there might be a mere handful Members of Congress willing to make those difficult votes; yet, after one hundred days of direct assaults on a population, the entire world is fully aware and acknowledges the truth about Israel’s true identity as ruthless fiends, especially the IDF, in lacking one iota of human charity.
At about the same time, Sen. Bernie Sanders stood his ground and offered a resolution (HR 504) requesting that the State Department provide Congress with its assessment of Israel’s human rights practices pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The resolution failed on Motion to Table by retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a 72 – 11 roll call vote with 17 Senators Not Voting. A Motion to Table provides an easy out to avoid AIPAC’s wrath in the face of even modest Congressional opposition.
The breakdown of vote as follows: the 11 Nay votes were all Democrats including Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) while the Not Voting included 15 Republicans as well as 2 Democrats: Sen. Chris Coons (Del.) and Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii). Of the 72 vote majority, 37 Republicans and 35 Democrats who might be fearful of crossing the Jewish lobby’s line while the 17 Not Voting might also be trepidatious of crossing the line.
There is, however, some solace in that the Senate broke ranks (sort of) indicating they are less than enthusiastic in their support for Israel’s notorious human rights abuses which is now undeniable on the world stage. Still there was no one willing to offer a ceasefire resolution.
On the House side, there was not yet any such resolution where the results could be more overwhelmingly in favor of Zionist Israel as the acceptance of civilian casualties, especially the deaths of 10,000 children is less an anathema in Republican circles as is former President Donald Trump. Other than Rep. Tom Massie (Ky) who has already attracted two primary opponents as payment for his heroic votes, it is still questionable how the America First contingent will continue to support the potential of an expanded Middle East war; especially as US troops remain in Iraq and Syria or cruise the Red Sea for dubious purposes.
Renee Parsons served on the ACLU’s Florida State Board of Directors and as president of the ACLU Treasure Coast Chapter. She has been an elected public official in Colorado, staff in the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, an environmental lobbyist for Friends of the Earth and a staff member of the US House of Representatives in Washington DC.