Bills move in mysterious ways. Sometimes they move in the dark of night and contain over 2,000+ pages of written gurp.
Such is the bill that erupted from Paul Ryan’s orifice, in the darkness, earlier this week, in a fashion not-so-dissimilar from that of John Boehner on occasion. This proposed $1.1 TRILLION dollar omnibus budget deal increases the deficit by billions more,
And Paul Ryan doesn’t see much wrong with the bill. From Slate.com:
The Paul Ryan Compromise
by Jim Newell
The new speaker’s first big deal is just like all of the ones that infuriated conservatives under Boehner.
When Paul Ryan was handed the speaker’s gavel in late October, he pledged to restore normal order to the People’s House and eliminate the sort of backroom deals that rank-and-file members complain are shoved down their throats at the 11th hour. So, late Tuesday night, Ryan unveiled a few thousand pages of consequential tax, spending, and regulatory legislation costing roughly $2 trillion and gave Congress and the public two whole days to review everything.
Even wackier, the bulk of the GOP — the people who complain about stuff like this — well, apparently, they don’t mind the bill so much. From Politico.com:
Conservatives give Ryan a pass on budget deal they despise
by Anna Palmer and Lauren French
‘The end product here is just cleaning the barn, it’s a disaster,’ one Freedom Caucus member complains.
The House Freedom Caucus hates the massive government-funding bill: Spending levels are billions of dollars higher than what conservatives wanted, and at least two top policy priorities — language addressing Syrian refugees and so-called sanctity of life — were cut.
But unlike past fiscal battles, when lawmakers took shots at GOP leaders and tried to tank bills, this time conservatives are largely holding their fire. Even as they vow to oppose the package, many are still praising Speaker Paul Ryan’s handling of the $1.1 trillion spending bill and $680 billion in tax breaks.
But wait; there’s more. Workers in America are going to hosed even more than they are now. Check out TheHill.com:
Funding deal hits backlash over increase in foreign worker visas
by Alexander Bolton
The $1.1 trillion omnibus funding bill includes language that would dramatically increase the number of visas available for foreign workers, setting off alarm bells among conservatives and labor unions.
Congressional leaders quietly slipped the provision into the 2,009-page funding bill, with rank-and-file lawmakers only discovering it Wednesday morning. The move immediately sparked protests from across the political spectrum.
The provision could more than triple the number of H-2B visas for foreign workers seeking jobs at hotels, theme parks, ski resorts, golf courses, landscaping businesses, restaurants and bars. The move is intended to boost the supply of non-agricultural seasonal workers.
“These foreign workers are brought in exclusively to fill blue collar non-farm jobs in hotels, restaurants, construction, truck driving, and many other occupations sought by millions of Americans,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), an outspoken critic of President Obama’s immigration policies, in a statement.
“The GOP-led Congress is about to deliver Obama a four-fold increase to one of the most controversial foreign worker programs. The result? Higher unemployment and lower wages for Americans,” he said.
Just as I documented here.
And the GOPEE — the GOP Establishment Elite — wonder why Conservatives are disturbed with the GOPEE, angry with the GOPEE, furious with the GOPEE? They wonder why Trump is resonating despite his frequently being a screwball? Oh my God, yes, the GOPEE IS in fact that obtuse.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
BZ
