Greg Sargent points out that they have time on their hands so perhaps it's not surprising we're already in the silly season:
"It’s August, Congress is gone, and it’s time for the silly season — which gets off to a fun start with a new Republican National Committee threat against NBC and CNN. It seems that unless NBC drops plans for a miniseries on Hillary Clinton, and CNN drops plans to air a documentary about the former Secretary of State, the RNC is threatening to boycott those networks in 2016 primary debates."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/08/05/gop-threatens-to-retreat-deeper-into-closed-information-feedback-loop/
Sure we can blame it on August recess. However, if this is the silly season how is it different than before recess started?
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/08/house-gop-august-recess-gift-more-time.html
Congress is out for over a month with many important things waiting in limbo. The sequester will continue to bite. There is no budget, no transportation bill, and the GOP continues to do immigration reform 'their way' which seems to mean incrementally and mostly really slowly.
Speaking of immigration reform, the House Dems are considering a kind of 'nuclear option' themselves or at least a kind of Hail Mary to force the Republicans' hand: filing a discharge petition.
The beauty of this is that it would provided it gets a House majority to sign it then it automatically goes to the floor. There's some debate as to whether this is a good idea-the Dems working in the bipartisan Gang of Seven worry this would give the Republicans in the Gang the excuse to walk out.
In part it's seen as an indicator of how much faith there is that the GOP House will pass anything meaningful that will get to a conference with the Senate. Those who think there is a real chance worry that the petition could somehow 'poison the well.' Those who think the GOP will never pass anything meaningful anyway like the idea. It also can be used in the future as Pelosi argues.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/08/05/democrats-divided-over-immigration-strategy/
I don't hate the idea. Right now the Senate bill could pass today-there's enough support for it just Boehner won't allow it on the floor yet. My guess is that at some point if they can't get anything done he will again break the Hastert Rule and let it come to a vote.
The discharge petition is in effect the same as it coming for a vote. As I believe there the 217 votes to pass it, there may be 217 votes to pass the petition. One reason it may not work is maybe even the Republicans who will vote for the Senate bill-and they are out there:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/08/05/gop-pollster-yes-republican-primary-voters-do-support-immigration-reform/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/07/17/bipartisan-group-in-house-closes-in-on-immigration-reform-compromise/
they may still not want to step on Boehner's toes to that extent. My theory is that at some point Boehner will allow it for a vote-if creating 'our own bill' doesn't work out so well. For some of these Republicans it might be going to far totally undercut Boehner though if he hasn't yet given his blessing.
"It’s August, Congress is gone, and it’s time for the silly season — which gets off to a fun start with a new Republican National Committee threat against NBC and CNN. It seems that unless NBC drops plans for a miniseries on Hillary Clinton, and CNN drops plans to air a documentary about the former Secretary of State, the RNC is threatening to boycott those networks in 2016 primary debates."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/08/05/gop-threatens-to-retreat-deeper-into-closed-information-feedback-loop/
Sure we can blame it on August recess. However, if this is the silly season how is it different than before recess started?
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/08/house-gop-august-recess-gift-more-time.html
Congress is out for over a month with many important things waiting in limbo. The sequester will continue to bite. There is no budget, no transportation bill, and the GOP continues to do immigration reform 'their way' which seems to mean incrementally and mostly really slowly.
Speaking of immigration reform, the House Dems are considering a kind of 'nuclear option' themselves or at least a kind of Hail Mary to force the Republicans' hand: filing a discharge petition.
The beauty of this is that it would provided it gets a House majority to sign it then it automatically goes to the floor. There's some debate as to whether this is a good idea-the Dems working in the bipartisan Gang of Seven worry this would give the Republicans in the Gang the excuse to walk out.
In part it's seen as an indicator of how much faith there is that the GOP House will pass anything meaningful that will get to a conference with the Senate. Those who think there is a real chance worry that the petition could somehow 'poison the well.' Those who think the GOP will never pass anything meaningful anyway like the idea. It also can be used in the future as Pelosi argues.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/08/05/democrats-divided-over-immigration-strategy/
I don't hate the idea. Right now the Senate bill could pass today-there's enough support for it just Boehner won't allow it on the floor yet. My guess is that at some point if they can't get anything done he will again break the Hastert Rule and let it come to a vote.
The discharge petition is in effect the same as it coming for a vote. As I believe there the 217 votes to pass it, there may be 217 votes to pass the petition. One reason it may not work is maybe even the Republicans who will vote for the Senate bill-and they are out there:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/08/05/gop-pollster-yes-republican-primary-voters-do-support-immigration-reform/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/07/17/bipartisan-group-in-house-closes-in-on-immigration-reform-compromise/
they may still not want to step on Boehner's toes to that extent. My theory is that at some point Boehner will allow it for a vote-if creating 'our own bill' doesn't work out so well. For some of these Republicans it might be going to far totally undercut Boehner though if he hasn't yet given his blessing.
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