Inside the Johnson-MTG talks and conservative demands

My Inbox ^ | May 7 | Politico Playbook

[RandFan]

Spokespeople for the two lawmakers declined to comment on their discussions, but we hear Greene and allied Rep. THOMAS MASSIE (R-Ky.) showed up to the meeting with a list of potential demands. Per folks we spoke to last night, they include the following:

-No further aid for Ukraine;

-A return to the “Hastert Rule,” meaning no legislation is brought to a vote without support from a majority of the House majority;

-Defunding the special counsel probes into DONALD TRUMP in upcoming appropriations; and

-Enforcement of the “Massie Rule,” whereby government funding is automatically cut across the board if no superseding agreement is reached before a set deadline.

Some of these would be easier for Johnson to agree to than others. Since this Congress has effectively cleared the barn, as they say, of controversial, must-do items such as funding the government, raising the debt ceiling and extending surveillance authorities, Johnson can probably stick to the Hastert Rule.

And Democrats agreed to a version of the Massie Rule during last year’s spending talks with KEVIN McCARTHY — so Johnson could probably go there as well. And on Ukraine, Congress just sent Kyiv $60 billion in aid — enough to last through the year by most estimates, though Greene might also want to strike an expected nine-figure aid authorization in the annual Pentagon policy bill that’s expected to move later this year.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Johnson has given up on that rule a few times.

That’s the real problem, right there.

Johnson has established a track record as a liar, a betrayer, a faithless promise-breaker.

He cannot be trusted.

Therefore the terms he agrees to in negotiations are meaningless.

[elpadre]

One more: Every bill authorizing any expenditure shall also contain a cuts in expenditures from elsewhere in the budget.

Let’s start whittling this obscenely huge government down, if only with small bites.