It appears that Speaker Mike Johnson is going to allow votes on all the foreign aid packages passed by the Senate.
Johnson now intends to try to pass five bills — one each for aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Indo-Pacific allies, as well as a GOP wish list of foreign policy priorities and a fifth stand-alone bill to address widespread Republican demands to strengthen the southern U.S. border. GOP leadership announced that the House would stay in session until Saturday to consider the bills.
The first three, at least, ought to pass if the entire House votes on them. The Moscow Caucus is furious and wants to fire Johnson as speaker, and that could happen, also.
Let’s start by noting the one thing that is at least a catalyst if not the trigger: the thwarted Iranian missile attacks on Israel. That clearly changed the game for many House Republicans. Passing some Israel aid became a necessity for a number of them. I assume that Johnson concluded that without assistance from at least some Democrats that too wouldn’t be possible and that he had no choice but to move ahead with Ukraine aid too.
If the House can pass the Ukraine packcage, that would be huge.
In other news: In the Manhattan Trump trial, today they unseated a couple of jurors who had been seated. So now they’re down to five. This could take a few more days.
In more other news: USA Today reports that a lot of Trump’s campaign money is being spent in his businesses.
Trump’s joint fundraising committee wrote three checks in February and one in March to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, totaling $411,287 and another in March to Trump National Doral Miami for $62,337, according to a report filed to the Federal Election Commission this week.
Federal law and FEC regulations allow donor funds to be spent at a candidate’s business so long as the campaign pays fair market value, experts say. Trump has been doing it for years, shifting millions in campaign cash into his sprawling business empire to pay for expenses such as using his personal aircraft for political events, rent at Trump Tower and events at his properties, which has included hotels and private clubs.
In a letter received by Republican digital vendors this week, the Trump campaign is asking for down-ballot candidates who use his name, image and likeness in fundraising appeals to give at least 5 percent of the proceeds to the campaign.
“Beginning tomorrow, we ask that all candidates and committees who choose to use President Trump’s name, image, and likeness split a minimum of 5% of all fundraising solicitations to Trump National Committee JFC. This includes but is not limited to sending to the house file, prospecting vendors, and advertising,” Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita wrote in the letter, which is dated April 15.
They add: “Any split that is higher than 5% will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump’s campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations.”
They claim they’re asking this to dissuade “scammers” from using Trump’s likeness. No, Trump just thinks everybody ought to be paying him.
"It appears that Speaker Mike Johnson is going to allow votes on all the foreign aid packages passed by the Senate."
I'll believe it when I see it, I don't think Mike Johnson can be trusted any more than MTG, Gaatz, et-al.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WarcCd5Z_s
Re Trump's demand for a 5% cut – when Republicans start scamming/cheating other Republicans, that's when it gets serious for them. They're cool with cheating the public, running afoul of the law – but when it hits their checkbook they start to wake up.
Trump is starting to sound like the Soprano's crew where they want a percentage of skim for the crime proceeds generated on their turf.
Trump has graduated from a con artist to a shakedown artist.
Stump wants his "taste"!
Gotta say I'm shocked – only 5%?!
Dickey Betts dies at 80. He co-led the Allman Bros Band after Duane died. That’s his voice and his song in “Ramblin’ Man”, it’s autobiographical. I hope the link works.
This morning the jury was at seven. By mid-morning, it was down to five. Now it's up to 12 plus one of the six alternates. So it's possible they will have jury selection wound up by tomorrow and start the opening arguments on Monday.
Re Johnson. He's responding to pressure from somewhere. It looks like all the bills will come up for a votes over the next couple of days. My guess is that he knows the Dems will bail him out of this one because there's stuff that has to be passed – yesterday. All hell will break loose afterward. The Russia Caucus will want his head – Trump will have to decide if Johnson has to go to placate Putin.
No one will notice that chaos in the GOP House is filling the gap they planned to be the Mayorkis impeachment trial. Also on Monday will be a hearing on the validity of the bond in the civil trial. The judge will demand straight answers – is the bond legit or a con? Trump os not doing well financially and it should get worse very fast.
Re: pressure on Mike Johnson; I wonder if he's discovering there are more R's inclined to follow Ken Buck and Mike Gallagher out the door if the clown act continues to dominate the show.
Wait, what, is it April 1st again, this is real?
https://www.newsweek.com/freedom-caucus-new-fart-team-sparks-avalanche-jokes-memes-1892103