The Week Ahead, and Your Questions!
I hope you are having a restful and restorative weekend. Taking a quick peek at the week ahead (before swearing off politics the rest of the day while I travel back the NYC), the big question on everyone’s mind will be this: Now that the GOP has finally elected a speaker in Kevin McCarthy, how much of strait jacket will he be wearing while he holds the gavel? And what does this mean for the chances of a functioning democracy?
To understand this, there are some key concepts we’ll be reviewing during the week:
Motions to vacate
Discharge petitions
The Debt ceiling limit
How the Rules Committee functions
Amendments on the floor
The Holman rule
Some of this is incredibly dense, so I’ll do my best to make it clear, interesting and even fun to understand. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, drop them in the comments below and I’ll see if I can address them!
And once again, thank you to all those who have stepped up with your generous paid support. It’s been a month since I made this substack my primary source of income and while I’ve got a deep hole to dig out from under, your help has been incredible and has allowed me to continue to devote my time and energies to this. I am so deeply grateful.
Jay
Jay-
I subscribed because I am very grateful for your clear and incisive commentary, your explanation of complex issues, without dumbing down more than necessary, and your obvious sincere goodness. Long may you wave.
1. I’m interested in what actions can be taken by the House majority independent of Senate approval. Ex. Can funding requirements within approved budgets (Omnibus Budget etc) legally be changed? (Ukraine appropriation reduction, reduction of IRS budget, ) designation of how funds can be allocated and by which authorities).
2. Practically, what damage is “likely “? (Assuming the system of checks and balances holds. ) Ex. Offsetting cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.