April 12, 2024 11:43 AM UTC

The Liberty in Laundry Act: Democrats are Sick of Republican Nonsense in Congress

• 7 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

The current session of Congress is well on its way to going down in history as perhaps the single most ineffective two years in American history.

Think about that for a moment: This is the 118th session of Congress. None of the previous 117 sessions were as useless as this current version overseen by a slim Republican majority on its second House Speaker in as many years.

Democrats are speaking out more forcefully now on the sheer ineptitude and ridiculousness coming from the Republican side of the aisle. Colorado’s own Joe Neguse (D-Boulderish), who is now the Assistant Minority Leader in the House, took to the floor today to share his frustrations.

Neguse was leading House Democrats’ debate on the Rule for four bills, including providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 7888) to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. Republicans were unable to even pass a Rule to proceed when the bill first came to the Floor on Wednesday, April 10th:

NEGUSE: “I’m confounded by the audacity of any House Republican to come to the Floor and lecture any of us about national security when they have held hostage a bill that passed the United States Senate on a bipartisan basis to address the national security needs of this country. For months, they have held that bill hostage.

“I certainly agree with [Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisconsin)] about the preservation of liberty and the importance of liberty in our founding documents and as the core fabric – the core thread in our country. But I must also just say that I don’t think the American people share House Republicans’ priorities. And let me explain why. On Monday, the Rules Committee will be meeting to consider a number of bills. House Republicans put out a notice yesterday what those bills would include. Let me just give you a sampling Mr. Speaker: the Refrigerator Freedom Act, the Hands Off our Home Appliances Act, the Clothes Dryers Reliability Act, and – this may be my favorite – the Liberty in Laundry Act. Liberty in Laundry Act. So, while I appreciate the Gentleman from Wisconsin’s very impassioned defense of liberty, I’m not so sure the American people have that in mind. [Pols emphasis]

“I think [the American people] expect this House Republican majority to actually address the consequential challenges that face our country. Not waste time on petty games and nonsense bills.”

You can watch the first part of Neguse’s comments below:

Here’s the transcript:

NEGUSE: “Mr. Speaker, today’s Rule, as Mr. Massie articulated, again provides for the consideration of four bills. I suspect that you will be familiar with these four bills because these four bills were under a Rule two days ago. What happened to that Rule? It failed. Part in parcel of the chaos and the dysfunction that House Republicans have engulfed this august chamber in for the better part of the last 15 months.

“As of two days ago, seven rules — seven — have failed on the House Floor, Mr. Speaker. You might be wondering — those watching from home might be wondering — How many rules failed when Democrats had the majority? Under Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi? The answer is none. Zero. In fact, from 1999 to 2023, only two rules failed on the House Floor. Neither of which happened when House Democrats were in control of this chamber.

“The last bill, Mr. Speaker, to pass the Rules Committee and make its way to the President’s desk without suspension of our rules was almost one year ago. Unprecedented. Republicans have literally presided over the most ineffective session of Congress in history. Not hyperbole. Despite, by the way, Mr. Speaker, the pressing challenges that our nation faces. They repeatedly show that they have no capacity or desire to govern.

“Instead, prioritizing unwarranted censures, sham impeachments, non-binding resolutions after nonbinding resolutions after nonbinding resolutions. Instead of debating core issues like lowering costs, growing the middle class, building safer communities, addressing our critical national security needs.

“We have spent yet another week here in Washington wasting time. This is the third time, third time that we are considering a variation of one of these non-binding resolutions today. Stunts over solutions, Mr. Speaker. That has become, unfortunately, their motto. This is not how governing is supposed to work. I know — I served in this body for some time — I know there are serious members on the other side of the aisle. I wish they would pull back their caucus and institution from the brink and work with us in a bipartisan way to address core needs of the American people. Unfortunately, they have yet to show any desire to do so. But hope springs eternal.”

Neguse certainly isn’t the only Democrat who is sick of this shit. On Thursday, Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern — the ranking member of the House Rules Committee, hammered Republicans for their ineptitude:

McGovern: This is the most incompetent majority in American history.. Republicans have tried and failed to pass their own rules seven times this congress. Before this Congress, it had been 20 years since a rule failed. It’s been 50 years since we’ve seen this many rules go down. pic.twitter.com/vskoiEwrPK

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 12, 2024

MCGOVERN: “This is the most ineffective, incompetent [House] majority in American history. Full stop.

“It has been an entire year…an entire year, almost, since anything that we have done in the Rules Committee has gone on to the President’s desk. And the last time it did happen, it was with Democratic votes. Republicans have tried and failed to pass their own rules seven times [in] this Congress. Seven times, this House has been stuck at a standstill because of their infighting.

Before this Congress, it had been 20 years since a rule failed. It’s been 50 years — half a century — since we’ve seen this many rules go down. And Republicans have done it seven times. One or two…three times, maybe, that’s just incompetence. But seven? Seven is a disaster. Seven is paralysis. It means weeks and weeks of sitting around doing nothing because Republicans can’t get their house in order and do their job.”

Oof.

Because Democrats have majorities in the state legislature in Colorado, this kind of nonsense is limited somewhat. But Republican State Rep. Gabe-ish Evans, who is running for Congress in CO-08, is mad that Republicans aren’t allowed to waste an equal amount of time at the State Capitol:

The legislature is currently in a waiting period because House Republicans demanded that bills be read at length — so that they could waste as much time as they can manage. If Evans were to be elected to Congress, you can bet he would go right along with his fellow Republicans in accomplishing nothing at great taxpayer expense.

Democrats are trying to govern, both in Colorado and in Congress.

Republicans are not interested in governing.

These are your choices in 2024.