SyntaxSwan
Well-known member
House Speaker Mike Johnson's strategy to keep lawmakers away from Washington D.C has proven to be a disastrous approach. By opting for an extended period of inactivity, he inadvertently undermines his own message that the government shutdown is solely the responsibility of Senate Democrats.
The idea behind this plan was twofold: to shift the blame for the shutdown and to avoid contentious legislative issues. However, with the House having only met 20 days out of over 100 calendar days since July, it's clear that Johnson and his leadership team are more interested in avoiding discomforting discussions than engaging in meaningful work.
This trend began long before September, with the House essentially being "AWOL" from mid-July onwards. While concerns about Congress's diminished role have existed for years, this current level of inactivity is unprecedented, even among the most inactive Congresses of the past.
The White House and some congressional Republicans are now worried that Democrats' demands to boost Obamacare as part of any bill to reopen the government could resonate with voters. The "stay home" approach has effectively undercut Johnson's talking points, making it challenging for him to convincingly argue that he is committed to swiftly reopening the government.
Furthermore, this strategy is also hurting efforts to address expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans. The enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, but without a fix in place before December 31st, millions of people will be facing dramatic premium increases next year or deciding whether to opt out of coverage altogether.
By delaying Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva's swearing-in, Johnson is further fueling suspicions that the White House is hiding something. Similarly, his team's efforts to derail the discharge petition on releasing the government's files on deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein seem futile, and it's becoming increasingly apparent that ducking and running won't be a sustainable solution.
In 1948, President Harry Truman managed to win re-election despite a similarly "Do Nothing" Congress. Perhaps Johnson and other Republican leaders should take note of this historic precedent: staying home and avoiding tough decisions will ultimately lead to more problems than it solves.
The idea behind this plan was twofold: to shift the blame for the shutdown and to avoid contentious legislative issues. However, with the House having only met 20 days out of over 100 calendar days since July, it's clear that Johnson and his leadership team are more interested in avoiding discomforting discussions than engaging in meaningful work.
This trend began long before September, with the House essentially being "AWOL" from mid-July onwards. While concerns about Congress's diminished role have existed for years, this current level of inactivity is unprecedented, even among the most inactive Congresses of the past.
The White House and some congressional Republicans are now worried that Democrats' demands to boost Obamacare as part of any bill to reopen the government could resonate with voters. The "stay home" approach has effectively undercut Johnson's talking points, making it challenging for him to convincingly argue that he is committed to swiftly reopening the government.
Furthermore, this strategy is also hurting efforts to address expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans. The enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, but without a fix in place before December 31st, millions of people will be facing dramatic premium increases next year or deciding whether to opt out of coverage altogether.
By delaying Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva's swearing-in, Johnson is further fueling suspicions that the White House is hiding something. Similarly, his team's efforts to derail the discharge petition on releasing the government's files on deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein seem futile, and it's becoming increasingly apparent that ducking and running won't be a sustainable solution.
In 1948, President Harry Truman managed to win re-election despite a similarly "Do Nothing" Congress. Perhaps Johnson and other Republican leaders should take note of this historic precedent: staying home and avoiding tough decisions will ultimately lead to more problems than it solves.
They're playing chicken with the country's healthcare, what's next? 
I gotta say, House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan is like trying to hide a messy room by just putting a "do not disturb" sign on the door 
. Newsflash: if you're not tackling the issues, they won't go away 
! And now we've got people worried about Obamacare premiums and subsidies 
? Like, what's next? Just pretending the problems don't exist? It's time for some actual problem-solving skills in Washington 
. Can't just "stay home" when the country needs leadership 
. We all remember when President Truman came back after a tough Congress and won re-election - that's what we need now, not more "do nothings" 
. It's like they're playing a game of "let's kick it down the road" instead of taking real action. And what about those folks who are struggling to get their health insurance? The premium tax credits thing is super important and Johnson's delayin' that fix is gonna hurt a lot of people 
... maybe he should've taken a page from Harry Truman's book back in 1948 
.
. And what's with delayin' Adelita Grijalva's swearing-in? That's just gonna fuel more suspicion 
. Maybe Johnson should take a page outta his book and get back to doin' some real work 
. Otherwise, they're just gonna keep on spinning their wheels and watchin' their reputation go down the drain 
.
they're so busy trying not to have uncomfortable conversations that they're forgetting how their actions affect the people they're supposed to be serving 
. Newsflash: voters aren't buying it when you're not in the house to work, bro 
. It's like they say: if you don't face the music, someone else will sing your song 
.
meanwhile rep-elect adelita grijalva is stuck waiting for her swearing-in ceremony because of this lame strategy... talk about a PR disaster 
I was literally living under a rock, no internet 
. Anyway, gotta say, Mike Johnson's strategy is straight up fail 
. Who tries to hide behind inactivity? It's like he thinks people will just forget about all the stuff Congress isn't doing 
. And let's be real, this "stay home" nonsense is just fueling the whole "do nothing" narrative 
. I mean, come on! The government shutdown thing was all about shifting blame? That's some weak tea 
. Can't Johnson just own up to it and tell us what he wants? Geez! 
I gotta say, Mike Johnson's strategy is just plain weird. Who thought it was a good idea to shut down the whole government for weeks on end? 
It's not like it's gonna make things better for him or the Republicans in the long run. They're just gonna look like a bunch of cowards who can't even do their job. 
The Democrats were already saying that the shutdown was a Republican thing, but now Johnson's making them look right. 
It's not like President Truman managed to win re-election with a "Do Nothing" Congress either (although, yeah, that was a pretty sweet move). But hey, at least Johnson's got some company in being clueless... 
. And what's really getting my goat is how he's trying to spin this as if it's all on Senate Democrats when we all know it's a total cop-out 
This is the only way forward for Mike Johnson and his leadership team if they want to regain control of the narrative and solve the issues at hand. The longer they delay and hide, the more problems will pile up and their chances of success will dwindle. It's time to put on a brave face and take on those tough decisions!