Well done @WhipKClark and Dems. It’s now starkly clear which party is prepared to fight for people, and which party is holding our economy hostage. #NotBothSides https://t.co/iAhtXA9qTZ
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) May 24, 2023
Live blog: All 213 House Democrats sign onto petition to force debt ceiling vote https://t.co/XoSMI42Q6g
— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) May 24, 2023
… Democrats still would need at least five GOP votes to bypass McCarthy and pass the legislation to avoid default. So far, no Republicans have agreed to support it.
Typically in the House, the majority controls what bills reach the floor and the minority party has little say.
But the discharge petition is a little-known, rarely used tool that gives the minority the ability to force a vote on the floor if it can secure signatures from 218 members, a simple majority of the chamber.
“House Democrats have provided a vehicle to end this reckless and dangerous default crisis and avoid the economy crashing,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said. “It’s now time for House Republicans to break with the extreme wing of their party and join House Democrats to put an end to the default crisis.”
Give me a break, @SpeakerMcCarthy:@POTUS lowered the deficit by $1.7 Trillion in his first 2 years in office.
His budget would cut the deficit by nearly $3 Trillion more.
Meanwhile, you added $8 Trillion in debt under Donald Trump. https://t.co/sNjUuT80AZ
— Katherine Clark (@WhipKClark) May 24, 2023
Clark: Who has the GOP taken hostage… It’s not The White House. It’s not Congress. It’s not Democrats. It’s the American people pic.twitter.com/pqdfrtUYCG
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 24, 2023
Clark: This is also not about debt and it is not about spending. Republicans racked up 8 trillion dollars in debt under Donald Trump, one quarter of everything we owe, and at the same time Republicans raised the debt ceiling three times no strings attached pic.twitter.com/G1XdixDmt7
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 24, 2023
This guy is pretty good, too:
Could the GOP be any more out of touch? Maybe if Speaker McCarthy weren’t so busy auctioning off his used Chapstick for $100,000 he’d know that the average food assistance benefit in America is $6/ day & harsh work requirements for food assistance have been in place for decades. pic.twitter.com/NzsoiA9icG
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) May 23, 2023
Baud
She’s got the facts!
satby
Any post with Dropkick Murphys is a great post.
Mr. Bemused Senior
Ah, open thread? Maybe I should wait for Adam, but this is rich: Fresh From Attack on Russian Soil, Raiders Taunt the Kremlin [gift link]
It seems they escaped across the border.
Jeffro
@satby: seconded!
they’re coming to town in October and the Fros will. be. there!
Nukular Biskits
Kick. Ass.
If it wasn’t for the misery it would put upon millions of Americans (which would probably include me, given I’m a defense contractor), I’d say let the Republicans take us into default.
Then, FINALLY, Americans would see that, no, both sides are NOT the same.
Manyakitty
@Mr. Bemused Senior: Adam has a post downstairs a few steps. A lot happened at once 😂.
Baud
More DeSaster fun.
https://i.redd.it/cgw6k84idw1b1.jpg
Mr. Bemused Senior
@Manyakitty: serves me right for not checking. Thanks.
Manyakitty
@Mr. Bemused Senior: nevertheless, good article. 🙂
Birdie
I won’t hold my breath waiting for the media to ask Republicans why they won’t vote for the discharge petition. I like being alive.
I wish polls reflected reality but the media are both-sidesing this so that it will be seen as “everyone’s” fault. Glad to see Rep Jayapal calling them on it, though.
Nukular Biskits
I called my congressional rep yesterday, Mike Ezell (R-Of Course), demanding that he support a clean debt ceiling increase.
I’m sure that he doesn’t effing care but everyone should call. To hell with emailing them … they’ll only respond with boilerplate flapdoodle.
BlueGuitarist
Yay for Clark, McGovern, and Dropkick Murphys!
Rs trying to show they’re serious about controlling spending by paying $100,000 for a used chapstick seems utterly insane.
OT: Happy Bob Dylan’s birthday to all who celebrate!
Bob, tonight I’ll be staying here with you
https://youtu.be/9ZhLGP5dF2k
Another Scott
She’s very good. My rep is very good also.
(Includes another tweet saying that Fitch has the US on “rating watch negative”.)
There was a big meeting at my workplace today and the big boss said everyone he talks to still expects the US not to default. But…
Grr…,
Scott.
Timill
Since nobody else has mentioned it: James Nicoll has an article at Tor today:
Five surprisingly sympathetic supervillains featuring among others
Bad Penny (Please Don’t Tell My Parents I’m a Supervillain by Richard Roberts)
gene108
@Nukular Biskits:
Wishful thinking and reckless optimism will get us nowhere.
If an insurrection can’t sway people, or all the abortion bans, or all the anti-LGBTQ bills, or the book banning can’t get the people to figure out which party supports what, defaulting on the debt isn’t going to get through to anybody.
Frankensteinbeck
@Timill:
Well, knock me over with a feather. I am always flattered to be on anyone’s list and grateful for any publicity! Ambiguous morality is the point of the series, so it certainly belongs here.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@gene108:
There’s plenty of evidence that those abortion bans, book bans, and the anti-LGBTQ bills are getting people to figure out which party supports what. Recent election results are evidence of this
I do agree that default should absolutely be avoided
Sure Lurkalot
Was Katherine Clark on THE LIBERAL MSNBC? No, Alex Wagner, who I had hopes for, was the host of another Trump, Trump, Trump show. Most every evening, I just have to move on. I get all the criticism that Democrats can’t message but seriously, if all we talk about is Republicans, they will frame the conversation.
BlueGuitarist
@Frankensteinbeck:
congratulations!
Tom Q
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Agreed. Plenty of evidence much of the public understands. It’s getting the press to acknowledge it that’s the difficult part.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Would it be a good idea to take a few grand in cash out of my bank just in case? My bank is a regional bank…
I know, I know, FDIC insurance, but the FDIC invests its fund in treasury bonds
Eolirin
@Sure Lurkalot: Democrats can’t message because no one lets them message.
Republicans get their talking points handed to them and then the reporters, working from the same talking points repeat them incessantly.
When Democrats are all on the same page and keep saying the same things, the media just stops talking to them and goes and finds the one guy that’s willing to say something critical.
We can’t rely on traditional media channels to get our message out. It’s going to have to be social media and on the ground organizing.
Manyakitty
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): dontpanic.gif
Steve in the ATL
@satby: so true.
@Jeffro: fro time! Which show are they doing? Last I saw them, in January, it was an “acoustic” show of Woodie Guthrie/Ken Casey songs. Great show, but the band and the audience were clearly not supportive of management-side labor lawyers.
Birdie
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Honestly, if the FDIC is unable to make your deposits whole, then what’s the point of holding paper money? The insurance is backed by the US government, so is the currency, if one goes, the other will be worthless too.
A major default will be a chaotic event where no asset class is ‘safe’. Governments globally hold US bonds so the effects will be felt everywhere, directly or indirectly. I honestly don’t think there’s an action you can take that will make much of a difference, especially if your do-nothing option is holding cash in the bank.
BlueGuitarist
Meanwhile
different dumpster fire than the DeSasster rapid disassembly!
a few seconds of video:
https://twitter.com/scottbraddock/status/1661532562634813440?cxt=HHwWgMC9qYDE-Y4uAAAA
SiubhanDuinne
@Timill: Thanks for posting this good news!
@Frankensteinbeck: That’s wonderful! Hearty congratulations, FSB.
S Cerevisiae
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): good lord kid, no. I’m on disability and on the first knife edge next weekend but I’m not worried. Joe’s got this.
sdhays
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but the reality is there are perfectly legal options available to Biden, Treasury, and the Federal Reserve. They just don’t want to use them right now, for whatever reason.
It’s less messy to get Congress to just do its fucking job because the most straightforward options require the Court to not be stupid, but if Congress ultimately doesn’t do its job, whatever is making those other options less attractive will become less important than preventing a default.
RaflW
I feel like too many in the press, as well as in rarefied investment circles, have taken the attitude “They’ve never driven the bus off the cliff, so it can’t happen” to be true.
They still don’t see the fully radicalized glaze in the eyes of the GOP
(Also, too, many in the fancy investment class have downside positions that earn money as things fall apart. That’s a problem as well.)
prostratedragon
@BlueGuitarist: Wow, 82! Happy Birthday to him.
karen marie
@RaflW: Except Republicans have shut down the government – multiple times, with Trump holding the record for the longest. But those were budget related. A failure to raise the debt ceiling will be much worse.
Shalimar
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): If the FDIC fails, the money you take out is also completely worthless. If you’re at that stage of worry without a fully-stocked basement of survivalist food and guns, you’re doing it wrong.
Nukular Biskits
@gene108:
I do not disagree.
There will probably ALWAYS be a core of 25%, give or take, who would much rather burn this country down to “OWN TEH STEWPIT LIBTARDS, HYUCK!HYUCK!HYUCK!” than to see it move forward.
Chris Johnson
@BlueGuitarist: re: chapstick: money laundering.