Let’s discuss the humiliating details of the swamp omnibus bill including funding for transgender clothes, the WHO, and gender identity help.
Fact Checks
- Republicans said no more omnibus massive bills: Failure
- Republicans demanded budget cutbacks: Failure
- Republicans said they would restore order: Failure
- Republicans said they would pass bills without Democrats: Failure
- Republicans said no more continuing resolutions: 3 Failures
The grand finish is a Huge 1,000-Page $1.2 Trillion Bill
What’s in the bill?
The package provides $19.6 billion for Customs and Border Protection, a $3.2 billion increase above fiscal year 2023, and includes $495 million for additional Border Patrol agents, which the Biden administration has repeatedly called for. It does not add funding for the border wall.The package also provides almost $90 billion in discretionary funding to the Department of Homeland Security, bolstering funding for additional resources. It funds 41,500 detention beds, which is more than the previous fiscal year and Biden’s request, according to the GOP summary.
The bill also increases Department of Defense funding, providing $824.3 billion, an increase of $26.8 billion above fiscal year 2023. It also provides an additional 12,000 special immigrant visas for Afghans who helped the US.
It also kills an amendment that would have cut funding for Head Start by $750 million, and instead increases funding by $1 billion above 2023 funding levels for Child Care and Head Start.
What Else Is in the 1012 Pages?
The only people who do know everything in the bill are the lobbyists who wrote the bill.
But some people have done a bit of digging and discovered a few things.
Secure the Border
Swamp Omnibus
Fund the WHO
What About Transgender Rights?
Gender Identity
More Gender Identity
“No Republican Should Vote For It”
Any guesses on how many vote for this bill? My guess is at least 60% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats.
Democrat lobbyists wrote this bill. They deserve congratulations for getting the job done.
Mishtalk Flashback January 4, 2023
Please note the year 2023: A Terrible Start for the Dysfunctional GOP, Who Will Be House Speaker?
Refusing to Take Yes For An Answer
Despite the fact that McCarthy gave in to the rebel’s demands and their hero does not even want the job, they will not back McCarthy.
Questions For GOP Rebels
Hello GOP rebels, do you understand how the system even works?
Democrats hold the Senate. Democrats hold the White House.
What the hell is the point of insisting on a balanced budget bill and “term limits for members of Congress when it’s doubtful those would pass even if Republicans held the Senate.
Of course, Biden would veto the bills, so why bother? Is symbolism all you’ve got?
Why if you wanted these things didn’t you pass legislation in the first two years of the Trump Administration when you held the Senate, House, and the White House?
And why, if you wanted a balance budget did you pass the Trump tax cuts and keep voting for insane levels of military spending?
The fact is, you are all a bunch of damn hypocrites who only want balanced budgets when the Democrats hold the White House.
Vote For Mish
I have the solution. Vote for Mish as Speaker of the House. My pledge is to pass nothing at all other than mandatory budget items and for no more than necessary.
Nothing would be a spectacular achievement compared to what we are suffering through.
Replace McCarthy with Whom?
Flashback September 24, 2023: House Republicans Make a Huge Mess, for What? Replace McCarthy with Whom?
We are headed for another government shutdown debacle that will end with Republicans making fools of themselves again.
What’s the Fight Over?
The answer is peanuts, and styrofoam ones at that. The Wall Street Journal has some interesting numbers.
- McCarthy proposes discretionary spending bills for fiscal 2024 totaling $1.526 trillion
- The hardline conservatives want a budget of $1.471 trillion
- The House Appropriations Committee authorized $1.59 trillion.
$1.526 trillion – 1.471 trillion = $0.055 trillion ($55 billion). That’s what the bickering is about. And the result would be a trillion dollar deficit.
Bear in mind that $1.526 trillion McCarthy proposed was for the whole shebang, 12 separate items.
The $1.2 Trillion that is on the table is for six components, not the entire budget.
On December 22, 2023 Biden signs $886 Billion US Defense Policy Bill Into Law. The new bill added another $26.8 billion.
At a minimum, we are at $2.086 trillion. And that is not counting Biden’s request for another $100 billion or so for Ukraine and Israel.
Flashback October 3, 2023: McCarthy Ousted, House Essentially Frozen, There Is No Path Forward, For What?
Four percent toppled the 96 percent. But the four percent have no plan and the GOP is weaker.
McCarthy could have accomplished more but the gang of eight would rather have had nothing rather than something. McCarthy even agreed to push for some things that were nearly guaranteed to fail in the Senate. That would have at least set the tone for negotiation.
Flashback November 11, 2023: No Surprise, House Speaker Johnson Proposes Same Plan as McCarthy
Flashback November 14, 2023: Hoot of the Day: 209 Democrats and 127 Republicans Pass Clean Spending Bill
New Republican House Speaker, Mike Johnson, just passed the exact same bill that got former House speaker Kevin McCarthy booted.
Three Things
Ahead of the vote to oust McCarthy I said three things: 1) Some gains are better than none 2) The eight people who ousted McCarthy would not set policy 3) The GOP would get nothing out of ousting McCarthy.
Correct on all three counts.
Many people thought that meant my statements meant that I like McCarthy. I don’t. I was just offering a pragmatic view of what was going to happen.
Total Clown Show
McCarthy offered to try for some things the Gaetz wanted. Gaetz’s hero replacement, Mike Johnson, did not even try.
Flashback January 7, 2024: Spending Deal Reached, the Republican Freedom Caucus Condemns It
“A total failure, even worse than we thought”, said the Freedom Caucus.
Gee, who could has possibly predicted that?
To get any border funding (that Biden will try to find a way to not honor), Republicans will have to further cave in on both Ukraine and Israel.
The total funding will be well in excess of the deal that Kevin McCarthy once had on the table.
Wow.
And here we are: McCarthy proposed a total package of $1.526 trillion. That was not good enough for the Freedom Caucus.
So we are now at at $2.086 trillion, not counting Biden’s request for another $100 billion or so for Ukraine and Israel.
I took a lot of flack for suggesting Mike Johnson would be worse than McCarthy.
It’s even worse than I expected. The final package funds “Teens Like Us LGBTQIA2s+” and “Gender Affirming Clothing Program” for ages 13-18. Mercy!
Apologies accepted.
establishment RINO republicans will continue to be RUN OUT OF TOWN until they are extinct.
betrayal has consequences. these reptiles will learn the hard way.
Johnson must be removed, asap. It is a matter of principle.
As a former Republican, I can say that Republicans get to reap what they sow. They just do not understand. It is sad, but deserving of the do-nothings in the House of Representatives.
The GOP is doomed because there are no leaders – only followers – of the most vile person to formerly occupy Washington D.C. It appears that the GOP consists of two factions: 1) the Taliban of America and 2) the radical ISIS of America. Just like in the Middle East, the two factions do not get along.
If they were smart, the GOP would put MAGA in box, place the box in the toilet, and close the lid. If they did that, a bunch of us Independent voters might vote Republican, at least in the House and Senate races (but not for Traitor rump)!
But, they are not smart enough; they are “Losers”. There will be Democratic landslide in November, and the GOP will go out of business. They will not be able to stop the runaway cash train from Washington. It will be the fault of the disfunctional GOP.
GOP will also have to file bankruptcy by paying the legal fees and fines of their Jesus-turned-Traitor.
What a show of ignorance they have put on!
This has to be good for gold right?
How do people not understand that we have a 1 party system?
Because we don’t. We have two parties.
Exactly! The illusion must be maintained and is working well. hahaha
LOL. The ODNI Newsletter…..cross dressing makes agents perform under pressure. LOL. This from an agency known for frat-boi lying/dirty-trick and you believe it?
A little well timed agitation out of ODNI for the Trump cause never hurt a good fascist!
A spending compromise was always expected, given how little majority Repubs have in DC (just barely in the House, and some are RINOs, so that is no majority at all). And there are major electoral consequences that Johnson (or McCarthy) have to consider.
To be fair, Johnson has made some improvements over McCarthy in House leadership, with more conservative bills getting passed, more investigations and info of Dem / Deep State corruption moving forward, and more exposure of common sense in the face of the insane policies and propaganda these days. Plus, it is more than symbolism that McCarthy was ousted… It shows that there is SOME level of accountability for false promises. Will Speaker Johnson be replaced? Maybe, but only if they can find someone better. (Mish, I am not sure you are up to the job, without a whole bunch of fiscal conservatives getting elected in House, Senate and White House. Let me know when you’ve got that solved.)
Johnson has to be removed, asap.
betrayal must have real consequences.
Since Biden took office the National Debt is up 25% and is accelerating.
SUICIDE!
Since Reagan took office, it is up by 4000%.
It’s up a million percent since The Fed was unleashed on the US.
And 50 million percent since prior to America’s first foray into large scale, pointless warmongering.
And, pretty much always; accelerating. That’s what persistent decay, from a once decent country to nothing but a Venezuela grade totalitarian basket case, does for a country.
It makes no difference what “party” is nominally in charge. It’s all nothing but a disgusting hellhole regardless.
There has never been a single so-called “dictator”, in any of the world’s supposed dumps, who have neither grown debt nor presided over a government larger hence less limited, than either Reagan nor Biden. No supposedly “baaaaad” Isis guy. No Hamas guy. No Fidel. No Putin. All of whom have presided over governments much smaller and more limited than Biden’s and Reagan’s.
Yet the pliantly bent over indoctrinati still keep cheering for the guy they are told to mindlessly cheer for. Over and over. Without fail. With America becoming ever more of a completely useless wasteland of nothing but disgust, one idiot-elect at a time.
Fall of the Roman Empire. We are in the sequel. There isn’t really any stopping it.
European countries said that forming a union would prevent another WW1-WW2 situation. Some leaders are now talking of shifting to a war economy. Wait, what? Amazing how human nature works. Covid brought out the authoritarianism in so-called democratic governments. An amazing sight to see. Whoda thunk it?
The Uniparty in DC is destroying the dollar and the Constitution—
I just want MY Piece of the ACTION and there is no piece.
I am a CITIZEN that believes that if we spend this much money, ONE more dollar above 50% should be spent on programs that serve US:
Getting a piece of the action begets a piece of the reaction. Debt can’t continue to soar away from GDP. Every cycle has two phases. The interest rate rose from the depths of the Great Depression until after 1980, then spent 40 years declining into ZIRP. To pay off the National debt, collectively, each tax payer owes some $333,000. It is like Star Trek’s Kobyashi Maru, the unwinnable scenario.
Scott Ritter and col MickyG must have an enemy. They cannot exist without an enemy.
Since they retired and lost power they love our enemies and trash the people in power : our gov, US congress, the DOD, the army and of course Israel.
It’s amazing how hateful and distorted people like that have become US officers. They infect other people’s judgement with their passion and hate.
Are you a Google AI bot?
General Butler said war is a racket. The government creates enemies of their own choosing. The first military intervention in Japan, was to force their hermit emperor in the 1850’s, to allow American businesses to trade with the Japanese. The humiliation lead to the emperor deciding to modernize their military. Eventually, they had fighter planes and aircraft carriers, just as the U.S., which were used to attack Pearl Harbor.
“They attacked us for our freedoms.” That was not why Osama decided to “kill Americans” as he said in a TV interview in the late 90’s. The U.S. kept military bases in his Holy Land of Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War.
Clinton meddled in Russia’s election in 1996, to get Yeltsin re-elected. That lead to Yeltsin handing over to Putin in 1999.
Did you invent ‘Pong’?
The kakistocracy is in full bloom.
Oh my! We do have our knickers in a twist this morning. We’re going down. Get used to it. As others here say, no use complaining, look out for yourself. It’s too late to turn things around despite our best wishes. Learn from history. The trend is your friend. Watch and learn.
Am not really sure what all the bitching and moaning is about this outcome was baked into the cake for a simple reason. All those fence sitters who claim to be moderates but in actuality can not make up their minds to shit or get off the pot have now got the Government they truly deserve.
This is direct result of allowing the blackmail of fear of cutting spending growth dominate the election cycle. Am no fan of Johnson but he has very little to work with when US Senate has no courage to do what is right for this country.
So yes the after effects are going to be more inflation until the common person suffers enough Pain that they will change composition of people in power.
There is a very rough economic patch coming so sit on whatever you need to survive and come out the other side whole enough so as to get your financial lives back on track.
Why do we have a “government”? Everyone I know feels that our government is our greatest enemy and is the greatest enemy of the entire planet.
Do we have one single person in Congress who actually works for “we the people?” I am highly doubtful.
I share your sentiment. May I suggest joining up and supporting Our Country, Our Choice. Something must be done and I think Col. MacGregor is a good man.
link to ourcountryourchoice.com
Bibi talked to republican senators to stick a finger in Chuck’s eyes . Bibi isn’t going to collide head on with Biden. Both are under tremendous pressure from their constituencies. Both are experienced politicians. They will settle their differences. Nazism is alive 80 years after Hitler death. Killing Sinwar wouldn’t eradicate radical Islam. Jasa became a low level of inflammation. Israel and the Palestinial will change their food.
May you and Israel receive in kind all that you sow.
The Dow hugs 40K bc the republicans raised their hands and dropped their weapons.
What else could they do against Chuck and Biden’s diktat.
Most Americans have more assets than ever before, but they are not liquid. The rich have gold, cash and bonds. Spending on woke protects the rich and pacify the mob. It’s a bribe. It’s cheaper than a civil war.
There are things in the bill which are not needed. Having said that government deficits are necessary to avoid recessions/depressions. Read Steve Keen with an open mind for enlightenment.
The only way you’re going to get any of the wish list of business is to lobby for the policies of a new monetary paradigm that doubles the potential demand for every enterprise’s goods and services without them incurring additional costs, and in fact enables them to reduce their tax costs tremendously. Do this or prepare for more of the same idiocies and orthodox delusions.
Recessions and depressions are ordinary and actual parts of a normal and healthy economic cycle/economy. Stop spreading any other bullshit but that!!!!
Thats just orthodoxy within the present paradigm. There will be “creative destruction” with the new paradigm which will enable much more competition and innovation. The difference is the individual and commercial pain will be nil compared to now despite the cleansing of malinvestment.
They hate you. They want you dead. Do not comply.
This is simply business as usual. There will be no change until the AI’s take over and eliminate politics as a career choice.
I’m the king of downvotes on this blog, this will be no exception.
There could be NO domestic spending worse for our economy than 45 years of “job creating” tax cuts that created those jobs in China, Mexico & India.
In just over 4 decades the American middle class’s net worth has been stripped clean and transferred to both China and C-suite executives.
As dumb as I might think spending on “woke” is, at least that money stays in the U.S. vs extracting my net worth to employ Chinese laborers for the sole purpose of making executives wealthier.
That’s the true humiliation for the GOP…..there has been no “trickle down”.
All those who would increase income tax, take the blame. We are now the share-cropping concept of income tax. U.S. citizens would be rich enough to let mothers or dads to stay home to take care of the kids. Living is about the family.
The problem with spending on ‘Woke’ is that it’s immediately gone. It’s no better than just lighting cash on fire for heat and after the fire quickly burns out you are left with nothing.
At least if you spend money on actual goods they last longer and if you spend even quasi well with that cash you might find that you’ve bought concrete and steel to make bridges/roads or lumber and other products to make homes or cars that last 10 years etc.
The middle class is probably a very short lived group of people in world history that existed because of perfect circumstances (US/Canada only production after WWII combined with the fact that half the world was stuck in communism and globalism wasn’t feasible yet). For the middle class to come back in means the rest of the world has to rise to the level of the West.
Tim, I could care less about the “woke” part.
My point is that domestic spending, regardless what it’s on, stays in the country.
It’s far more beneficial than tax cuts under the guise of “job creation” or “trickle down” when the jobs have been created in China.
I won’t give you a down vote though I’m tempted to by your statement about spending on woke. Woke is a cancerous ideology and they are targeting kids who are young and impressionable. This is extremely corrosive to the moral fabric of society.
Otherwisei agree with what you say.
but it IS an apartheid state, for reasons. long story, and there’s no solution. other countries are apartheid state, too. I’ve been absolutely salivating to emigrate to the Maldives, and apply for citizenship. But Presbyterians don’t get a green light. Only Muslims. It’s apartheid. Am I off base?
I think we’ve jumped the shark. We are doomed.
Mark Twain: ‘There is no distinctly American criminal class – except Congress.’
Unitary strikes again.
Just remember that the Freedom Caucus is the actual Republican Party, and they are pretty small. The rest of the ‘Republican Party” is just neocons, RINOs, and Democrats in disguise.
While acknowledging that you were correct with Kevin McCarthy vis a vis Mike Johnson, I think they will just have to remove Mike Johnson. At some point, the main guy will get the message that they need to represent Republicans in their quest to reduce spending, rather than cave to the Democrats and their Scary Campaign Propaganda. I know that the Democrats want this, but otherwise are impotent.
Otherwise we are going to be spending until the country runs out of runway, and then it will be far too late.
The odds of getting all three branches in one election are slim, so we might as well shut it down until Democrats cry uncle.
It is also remarkable that Democrats never have a care in the world about spending, and that their economic illiteracy prevents them from understanding the true end of their Modern Monetary Theory.
“The odds of getting all three branches in one election are slim, so we might as well shut it down until Democrats cry uncle.”
The problem with this notion, as proven in past shut-downs, is that it isn’t just Democrats on the receiving end of the spending.
if you want to make an omelette, you have to break some eggs.
RINO swampers will just have to live w/o their kickbacks & laundered-money bribes…
…is this REALLY so hard?
I have now taken a few more critical steps to secure myself for when I stop paying taxes. The day is coming and I won’t feel guilty about it one bit
When anyone asks why, this kind of omnibus PORK along with endless wars will be my answer. My 2022 return already had a write off line item for unauthorized Ukraine money laundering expense. So when the returns just stop, the IRS shouldn’t be surprised
Good luck in prison my friend.
I hope those chains lay softly upon your wrists my friend.. however you have been correct read the story of Peter schiff’s father and how he was treated.. but there will come a day when civil disobedience in the face of totalitarianism and oppression is necessary.. I’m just afraid that day is coming.. read the headlines squatters taking over houses all over the country.. landlords and homeowners have no recourse and lose tens of thousands if not more dollars.. the southern border being breached just today hundreds overwhelmed the National Guard and the border patrol in Texas we have lost control of the country.. I guess I’m just glad I’m getting old I won’t have to deal with the remnants of this lunacy
So your planning on dying soon? That is the only way to end paying taxes!
If you have no assets or income then what taxes are paid besides sales tax during normal transactions? Therein lies the strategy
You don’t need to have no assets or income to pay no taxes. The standard deduction for a couple is nearly 30k, you could reduce your overhead and live a simpler life. I built a house for 300k five years ago lived in it for two years sold it for 600k and paid no taxes. I haven’t paid any taxes for the last three years. For 2023 I do owe about $2,000 – my savings accounts just earned too much darn money. I’ve rectified that by building another house. I could move into the new house and sell the one I built three years ago with a 500k gain and once again pay zero taxes.
Hell, I’ll vote for Mish at least a dozen times…
Once I land this job at the Alzheimer’s facility.
WTF are these clowns smoking, why the hell do we bother to vote, I’m so pissed that I need to double my blood pressure medication. These …… do NOT represent we the people.
Omnibus legislation is unconstitutional. It must be stopped or there is no point in even having a congress.
You know, it really didnt have to come to this. You now have a population who are truly imagining what this country would be like if we just divided up the country and started over. Like a family that just spends all night screaming at each other about past sins and seeing compromise as a vice. Could the Great Pumpkin actually bring us to this point? One guy? One barely functioning C- student did all this damage?
I’m genuinely not sure who you’re referring to. Is Trump the Great Pumpkin because of his spray tanning? Or is it Biden, the literal pumpkin headed dunce who had to repeat the third grade, finished in the bottom 10% of his law school, and was caught plagarizing like four times?
I couldn’t figure out what Scott was saying or who he was referring to. I decided not to engage.
The Great Pumpkin = Waiting For Godot or Waiting For Guffman.