The spending mess the House left behind

Presented by the Small Business Payments Alliance: An evening recap of the action on Capitol Hill and preview of the day ahead

Jul 25, 2024 View in browser   By Jordain Carney Presented by  House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol July 23, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO RECESS NOW, PAIN LATER Most House Republicans bolted out of town before noon on Thursday, punting a hefty to-do list to September after they hit a wall on government funding — and also, probably, with each other. A friendly reminder: The House was supposed to be in town through next Thursday, Aug. 1, before skipping out of Washington to hit the campaign trail. But the early exit is no big surprise: One senior Republican told us back in May the summer session would end as soon as GOP leaders’ quest to pass all 12 government funding bills inevitably unraveled. And unravel this week it did, sparking frustration throughout the conference. By the time leadership made the formal call on Wednesday to cut members loose early, the writing had already been on the wall for a while — and some weren’t happy about it. "We've got so much unfinished business it blows my mind,” House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) told Connor. “I mean, we can't pass anything. This place is paralyzed. … I'm used to doing stuff. We accomplish stuff on the Armed Services Committee, and it drives me nuts that this place is paralyzed on everything else.” Republicans did ultimately manage to pass one of the four fiscal 2025 spending bills they had teed up for action this week. The Wednesday-night vote was a nail-biter, with the bill at various points failing or tied. One GOP lawmaker watching on the floor reported that the “crackerjack whip team” and other members of leadership were actively arm-twisting during the vote, chatting with both members of the Freedom Caucus and moderates. No bills, no tough votes: Leaders ended up leaving some of the hardest to pass bills behind rather than make their frontliners burn time in Washington taking politically tricky amendment votes on bills that can’t even clear the House, much less become law. Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) made the case during leadership meetings this week that they shouldn’t force members to walk the plank if a bill is going to fail, a Republican familiar with the discussion told us. Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) also said he told leadership this week his preference was that a bill not come up for a final vote if passage is in question. He noted it could make it harder to flip members who are already on the record as a no. “I didn’t think it was worthwhile to continue to subject these members in districts — that are in Biden districts or in tough districts — to [have to] continue to vote against amendments, or potentially for amendments, that are put on by people who have no interest in making the bill better or passing the bill,” said Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), a GOP appropriator. Stopgap September: Now lawmakers will need to turn their focus toward passing a short-term continuing resolution (CR) by Oct. 1 in order to prevent a government shutdown. And there are festering divisions within the House GOP over how to do that — guaranteeing a headache for Speaker Mike Johnson once members return Sept. 9. One key divide surrounds the length of a stopgap: Some conservatives want it to run into March, thus guaranteeing there can be no lame-duck omnibus deal. They include Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who also said the House should have stayed in to hammer out a path on government funding: “It’s not going to be any easier,” he said. Some conservatives in both chambers are also pushing to attach legislation dealing with noncitizen voting to any CR — a move that would set up a knock-down partisan fight and raise the odds of a shutdown just weeks before the November election. (To state the obvious, such a CR could not pass the Senate.) — Jordain Carney, with an assist from Connor O’Brien and Olivia Beavers   A message from the Small Business Payments Alliance: Credit cards are a lifeline for small and medium-sized businesses. A recent report from the Small Business Payments Alliance shows credit cards consistently rank as SMBs’ top source of funding – above other resources such as lines of credit, BNPL, or loans. Small businesses receive 220% more on average from credit card transactions, when compared to cash. Credit card transactions guarantee payment, and avoid the costs and risks associated with cash.   GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, July 25, where the jet fumes are intoxicating right now. Recess here we come! AFFILIATING WITH THE UNAFFILIATEDS A bipartisan group of House centrists is leading a push to include more independent voters in elections, as well as set up federal guardrails to prevent noncitizens from voting in elections for federal office, according to an exclusive preview. The Let America Vote Act is led by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), who argue a U.S. citizen should have the right to vote in any taxpayer-funded election regardless of political affiliation. “It's simple: every tax-paying American citizen deserves to have their voice heard, and only tax-paying American citizens should have the right and responsibility to exercise their vote,” Fitzpatrick told us in a statement, while urging legislators from state and local to federal to back this effort. “This commonsense reform is not political or controversial. It ensures every US citizen, regardless of political affiliation, has the unequivocal right to vote while reinforcing election integrity by strictly prohibiting non-citizens from participating in tax-payer funded elections.” This legislation, among the first of its kind, would also withhold federal funds if a state does not permit unaffiliated voters to vote in primary elections for state and local offices. Their plan is officially endorsed by Unite America, With Honor and No Labels — three groups that in part aim to combat partisanship in Congress and have never before worked on a joint project. Still, don’t expect the wings of either party to get excited about this bill. There is a reason parties have closed primaries: They want their own supporters picking their candidates, and they don’t want to risk outsiders meddling with the process, they have argued. — Olivia Beavers   A message from the Small Business Payments Alliance:   ‘WHAT WE NEED IS HEALING’ Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), who represents the district where 36-year-old Sonya Massey died in her home at the hands of a sheriff’s deputy, called newly released body-camera footage of the incident “horrific” in an interview with POLITICO Thursday. “She was an unarmed woman basically asking for help,” said Budzinski. “She thought there was an intruder in her home, called the police, the police showed up. And it quickly escalated to a senseless, senseless act of violence and then she died.” Massey’s death in Springfield has gripped the nation as the most recent killing of a Black woman at the hands of a police officer. The white officer who pulled the trigger — 30-year-old Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson — has since been fired and was indicted by a grand jury last week. “I think that what we need is healing, but I also think we need to continue to work on building trust and relationships in our community, and I do see law enforcement doing that,” Budzinski said. “We need more hard conversation, not less. We need to be listening to each other. … I know that doesn't lead to specific legislation, necessarily, but I think we need to come together and have those hard conversations and listen in moments like this.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also weighed in on Massey’s killing Thursday. “It was a deeply disturbing and troubling incident. She should be alive today and with her family, and I’m thankful that law enforcement at the state level and the Department of Justice level decided to act in a swift and comprehensive manner to try to bring accountability,” he told reporters. — Daniella Diaz and Nicholas Wu   Pro Briefing: Kamala Harris and the World. What we expect on foreign policy and trade. Join POLITICO Pro for a deep-dive conversation with our specialist reporters about the vice president’s approach to foreign policy. Register Now.     HUDDLE HOTDISH Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has mere days of bachelordom remaining. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) jumped to the top of the House Republican fundraising leaderboard as he seeks the top GOP spot on Energy and Commerce, according to his campaign. The Kentucky Republican cut a $550,000 check to the NRCC today, which helped bump him to No. 1 in giving among rank-and-file members, putting him at $2.186 million. Reps. French Hill (R-Ark.) and Andy Barr (R-Ky.) are in second and third, respectively. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) has us wondering what happened to the cookie cakes for the spending bills that got yanked this week. (We’re still here and hungry, if they’re available.) Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) thinks he’s brat.   A message from the Small Business Payments Alliance: Cash payments cost small businesses, while credit cards are a top funding source. The average cost of cash acceptance at bars and restaurants now exceeds 15 percent, and we’ve seen cash costs significantly outpace the costs of accepting card payments. Our current payment systems work – credit card and electronic payment options offer savings for small businesses while increasing the amount spent per customer. At the same time, card payments are convenient and safe option for customers.   QUICK LINKS  The dress that swept Capitol Hill, from Rachel Tashjian at The Washington Post U.S Rep. Lloyd Doggett took a political risk by calling on Biden to step aside. It worked, from Isaac Yu at the Texas Tribune Half-dozen Dems join GOP in condemning Harris’ work on the border, from Jordain and Anthony A neurological disorder stole her voice. Jennifer Wexton takes it back on the House floor, from Dan Merica at The Associated Press TRANSITIONS  Matt Silhacek is joining Ascent Strategic as director of client fulfillment. He previously was campaign manager for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House is out for five weeks. The Senate is out. FRIDAY AROUND THE HILL Zzz.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     TRIVIA WEDNESDAY’S ANSWER: Brad Fitch was the first to correctly answer that President George H.W. Bush was the last vice president to oversee their Electoral College win. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Brad: Chicago has been the location of 25 previous political conventions. What year was the first major party political convention in Chicago and who was the nominee selected? Answer: 1860, Abraham Lincoln. The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening.   Follow us

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