The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly today for a continuing resolution that will fund the federal government for 45 days. The “clean” CR does not include any of the conservative terms the Republicans have been trying to get, but it does include billions in disaster relief.
Personally, I would just as soon have seen a government “shutdown,” i.e., a temporary furlough of nonessential government workers. The fact that Democrats voted overwhelmingly for the CR that passed today suggests that they are not certain that a “shutdown” will damage Republicans politically. Of course, that could still happen. Today’s vote just buys time.
The most entertaining story to come out of today’s vote relates to Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman, an open socialist. Bowman pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon office building, apparently hoping to delay the vote on the CR. He was caught red-handed, and lamely explained that he was trying to open a door:
🚨🚨NEW — Capitol Police are circulating this photo of a man pulling the fire alarm in Cannon. Looks a lot like Jamaal Bowman pic.twitter.com/khzpigSvWI
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) September 30, 2023
Republicans are having fun at Bowman’s expense. Some are saying Bowman should be criminally charged–not unreasonably, since he plainly seems to have committed a crime under D.C. law. GOP Reprepresentative Nicole Malliotakis says she will move to have Bowman expelled from the House.
Marjorie Taylor Greene made another valid point:
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) ripped the far-left pol for disrupting Saturday’s activities before demanding that the Department of Justice prosecute him for obstruction of an official proceeding — the same charge that has been used against January 6 rioters.
Maybe Bowman can do a year in solitary while he waits for trial.
