#Rep. David Joyce

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A feud over spending cuts between hardline and centrist Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives raises the risk that the federal government will suffer its fourth shutdown in a decade this fall.

Members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus are pushing to cut spending to a fiscal 2022 level of $1.47 trillion, $120 billion less than President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to in their May debt ceiling compromise.

With Republicans also seeking higher spending on defense, veterans benefits and border security, analysts say the hardline target would mean cuts of up to 25% in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, science, commerce, water and energy, and healthcare.

Centrists, who call themselves "governing" Republicans, say their hardline colleagues are ignoring the fact that their priorities are rejected by Democrats who control the Senate and White House, and that spending will wind up near the level agreed by McCarthy and Biden anyway.

The result is a major headache for centrist Republicans from swing districts that Biden won in 2020 and others with constituents in the firing line of hardline spending targets.

"The reductions are so deep," said Representative Don Bacon, a centrist Republican from Nebraska. "They want to make everything a root canal."

Hardliners view the 2024 fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1 as a test of Republican resolve to reduce the federal debt and move on to reform social programs including Medicare and Social Security.

"I don't fault any individual member for raising concerns and wanting to make sure that the bill is right for them and for their district," said Representative Ben Cline, who belongs to the Freedom Caucus, the conservative Republican Study Committee and the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

"What there has to be is an understanding that for there to be 218 Republican votes, the spending needs to be in line with pre-COVID levels rather than the debt-limit agreement."

One significant source of frustration is hardline demands for cuts to bills that have already been vetted by the 61-member House Appropriations Committee.

"We're not, willy-nilly, just trying to give money away. We're trying to focus and prioritize," said Representative David Joyce, a member of the appropriations committee who heads the 42-member centrist Republican Governance Group.

With Democrats opposed to hardline proposals, McCarthy can afford to lose no more than four Republican votes if he hopes to pass all 12 appropriations bills before funding expires on Sept. 30.

"I do not know how they get themselves out of this jam," said William Hoagland, a former Senate Republican budget director now at the Bipartisan Policy Center think tank.

TRICKY PATH

When the House returns from summer recess on Sept. 12, lawmakers will have 12 days to complete their bills and hammer out compromise legislation with the Senate or risk a partial government shutdown.

McCarthy acknowledged last week they may have to resort to a stopgap funding bill, known as a "continuing resolution," or CR, to keep federal agencies open.

That option could be complicated by hardline demands that it include some of former President Donald Trump's border policies, which Democrats reject.

Some House Republicans say the challenges are similar to disagreements McCarthy has overcome on other major legislation, including an April Republican debt ceiling bill that cemented his negotiating position in talks with Biden.

"The more appropriations bills we can get across the finish line, the more we'll have the leverage we need to negotiate a good deal with the Senate," said Representative Dusty Johnson, who chairs the Main Street Caucus, whose members describe themselves as "pragmatic conservatives".

Failure would mean another costly government shutdown starting in October, which would be the fourth in a decade.

SHUTDOWN RISK

House Freedom Caucus members say a shutdown could be necessary to achieve their objectives.

"It's not something that the members of the Freedom Caucus generally wish for," said Representative Scott Perry, who chairs the group of roughly three dozen conservatives.

"But we also understand that very little happens in Washington that's difficult, without someone or something forcing it to happen," he told Reuters.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in Congress, said last week that Republicans will be to blame for any new shutdown "if the House decides to go in a partisan direction."

Disputes over funding and policy have shut down the federal government three times in the past decade: once in 2013 over healthcare spending and twice in 2018 over immigration. A 35-day shutdown that began in December 2018 and ran into January 2019 cost the economy 0.02% of GDP, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

This time, the slim 222-212 House Republican majority could pay a political price. A shutdown would disrupt the lives of Americans barely a year before the 2024 election, when Republicans must defend 18 House seats in districts that Biden won in 2020.

McCarthy could face the prospect of having to resort to a CR that requires bipartisan support to pass, neutralizing the hardliners, analysts said.

That could endanger McCarthy's speakership under a deal he struck allowing a single lawmaker to move for his dismissal.

Would the House Freedom Caucus end McCarthy's reign over a CR?

"I wouldn't go that far," Perry said. "That's a final option. We want to work with the leadership. We want to work with Kevin, and we think that we can."

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

Sooner rather than later.

[midnightfunk]

As the cult continues…

[akajustmerry]

David Harbour wanted to lose weight. the Duffers did not ask him to. they didn't intentionally make someone “worthy” of love after weight loss.

lawd love a DUCK, the weight loss on its own is not the issue!! it makes sense that Hopper lost weight after essentially being starved for a year. it's not about the weight-loss, it's how that weight-loss is FRAMED.

the Duffers could have taken the body neutrality route of just choosing not to write fat jokes, or have any characters comment on it at all. but they didn't do that! Hopper jokes about his weightloss so it's framed as a Good Funny Thing even though it's literally the result of TORTURE

alternatively, they could have actually framed the weightloss as a byproduct of trauma. they could have had joyce, Murray, eleven, etc express concern that jim is literally a shadow of his former self liket, "i am so sorry they starved and tortured you. that's awful" instead of making anti-fat jokes. if Hop just said to Eleven, "I stole your look, kid" without the fat joke before it, that would have been so poignant!! because it would have framed how he looks as a result of similar trauma to Eleven's instead of a "well, at least i lost weight!" which is sooooo harmful!

THEY ALSO LITERALLY FRAME HIS NEW BOD AS SEXY!!!! as much as i am obsessed with and deeply love the hornyness of the church scene, its so fuckin weird that Hopper is covered in scars and bruises and has clearly experienced extreme weight-loss as a result of PAIN. but the way his body is filmed in that scene is like "woof! Hopper is battered but he's sexy now. look at those abs" cannot tell you how weird it felt to see Hop's literally tortured body being sexualised. we don't talk enough about how the male gaze fetishises male bodies in gross uncomfortable ways enough too. again, it's not the fact that he lost weight that's the issue, its how they chose to frame the way the audience is meant to feel about it

david harbour's personal weight is none of my business. but how he and the Duffer Bros chose to contextualise and frame that weight-loss in their big show that over a billion people watch is something they can be held to account for. especially if it leans into fatphobic tropes - intentionally or not.

idk if you're the same commenter who left an eerily similar reply on one of my asks that also said something like, "but joyce clearly did like him before weight-loss. plus she dated that other beefier guy"

first of all the other guy, Bob was brutally slaughtered and was completely undermined as a love interest by every other significant man in joyce's life (including Jim) so not great fat love interest rep there. and again, it doesn't matter that joyce liked Jim before because the show writers decided Joyce and Hop actually hook up very specifically in a scene framing his traumatic weight-loss as sexy from her point of view. that is some framing that signals fatphobic tropes about fat/large people being more worthy of desire after weight-loss, whether it was intentional or not.

[dertaglichedan]

House votes to censure Rep. Adam Schiff over Trump-Russia probe

The House voted along party lines Wednesday to censure Rep. Adam Schiff for amplifying claims that Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia.

The censure resolution against Schiff (D-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was approved by a vote of 213-209 with six lawmakers opting to vote “present.”

Reps. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), David Joyce (R-Ohio), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), John Rutherford (R-Fla.) and Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.) – all members of the House Ethics Committee – voted present, as did Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.).

Sparks flew in the well of the chamber after the vote when several House Democrats crowded near the dais and chanted “shame” as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) attempted to read the resolution.

“I have all night,” McCarthy said as he tried to ask for Schiff to present himself so he could be censured.

The interruption lasted for roughly five minutes.

An initial resolution to censure Schiff failed 225-196 last week, with 20 Republicans voting to kill the effort.

That resolution featured a provision to fine Schiff $16 million, half of the money taxpayers doled out for special counsel Robert Mueller’s collusion probe, according to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who sponsored both bills.

The resolution voted on Wednesday scrapped the fine and made other modifications to win over members of the House like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky), who opposed the initial version.

FULL STORY...

***BURN you POS!

[beardedmrbean]

Five Black House Democrats are endorsing Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in her Maryland Senate bid, days after her primary opponent apologized for using a racial slur in a House hearing.

Why it matters: The five lawmakers bucked their House colleague Rep. David Trone (D-Md.), Alsobrooks' primary opponent, in endorsing the Prince George's County executive, Axios has learned.

Trone used a racial slur in a House hearing last week. He apologized on Friday, saying he meant to use the word "bugaboo."

Trone is considered the front-runner in the Democratic primary. Trone and Alsobrooks are seeking to face Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, a popular former Maryland governor, for the Senate seat in November.

Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) endorsed Alsobrooks.

The big picture: The Democratic primary in the state has been one of the most expensive in the country.

Over $29 million has already been spent in the race, according to AdImpact Politics. That makes it the third most expensive primary in the country, with Trone, a wealthy businessman, accounting for 97% of that spending.

Hogan leads Alsobrooks and Trone in hypothetical general election matchups, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll.

What they're saying: Lee said Alsobrooks is a voice "sorely missing in the Senate."

"Her vision and integrity make her the best choice to represent Maryland in the Senate," Clarke said.

"The enthusiasm and support behind our grassroots campaign is growing as we continue our fight for Marylanders across the state," Alsobrooks said of the endorsements.

[arpov-blog-blog]

....."Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will back a resolution to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) as he continues to work to shore up support for his Speaker bid, according to a source familiar.

The move comes after Jordan failed on two ballots to get the 217 votes he needed to win the gavel and opponents were promising greater resistance.

But it’s unclear whether a vote to empower McHenry will pass muster on the House floor. 

While the push to expand McHenry’s power has been growing this week, several conservative Republicans on Thursday came out strongly against doing so. 

Whether Jordan’s endorsement of the idea moves them — and whether Democrats may be willing to make up for any GOP defections — remains the key question.

The resolution would broadly grant McHenry the same powers as an elected Speaker, but it would only leave him in the role until January, and he would not be in the line of presidential succession.  

Jordan is not dropping out of the race and will remain the GOP’s Speaker-designee.

Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Penn.) and other GOP lawmakers pushed for the move after Jordan’s second failed vote to secure the Speakership, in which he lost further support from the GOP conference.

“After two weeks without a Speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options. By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected,” Joyce said in a statement ahead of Wednesday’s vote."

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio) on Sunday said he supports House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to be the next Speaker and said calls by far-right Republicans to include a motion to vacate the chair in next Congress’s set of House rules were a “stupid idea.”

Joyce told “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos on ABC that McCarthy has “done the hard work that was necessary to bring together the majority.”

“We were given this opportunity to do that, and he deserves the chance to lead us, and he deserves the chance to lead for two years,” Joyce said. “I’m not a fan of a motion to vacate. I think that’s a stupid idea. We were elected for two years.”

McCarthy was nominated last month by a majority of the GOP conference to be the next House Republican leader, but he faces a showdown on Jan. 3 to seize the role after several Republicans said they would vote against him.

Some far-right Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus have also called for a rule that would make it easier for any Representative to bring a motion to the floor that could force a Speaker to vacate the chair and be removed from the post.

Joyce on Sunday said such a rule wouldn’t make sense because if “constituents don’t like what we’re doing, then they can vote us out.”

“Certainly, we should give the Speaker the opportunity,” the GOP congressman said. “And at the end of two years, then vote him out.”

[cattarattat]

A MUST, MUST, MUST READ!!!

"The latest outrage over Thomas' conduct follows a report revealing his ties to the Koch brothers' political network…

Legal and political experts have erupted with disgust online Thursday after a report revealed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has participated in two Koch donor summits and ultimately aided the political network, which has appeared before the high court in multiple cases — including one of the most highly anticipated of the upcoming term — in its efforts to raise funding.

According to ProPublica, who conducted interviews with three former network employees and one major donor, Thomas has attended Koch donor events at least twice over the years with the justice, staffers said, being flown in to speak in hopes that it would encourage attendees to continue donating. Thomas did not report the 2018 flight he took to Palm Springs for the Koch organization's annual summit on his disclosure form, and a spokesperson for the network told ProPublica it did not pay for the jet.

As the outlet notes, Thomas' participation in the events is part of a yearslong, personal relationship he has with the networks founders — libertarian billionaires David and Charles Koch — that has largely remained out of the public eye and sprouted from years of trips to the Bohemian Grove, a secretive, all-men's retreat in Northern California Thomas has attended for two decades.

The revelation comes after ProPublica's previous reports have also shed light on the conservative justice's ties to GOP megadonor and billionaire Harlan Crow, who financed a number of luxury trips for Thomas across decades, paid private-school tuition for two years for the child Thomas raised and purchased property from Thomas — including his mother's home — in 2014.

Thomas neglected to report these dealings with Crow in his annual financial disclosures but acknowledged in his most recent financial report that he took three trips aboard the billionaire's private plane last year and included amendments to reports filed between 2017 and 2021 to address matters he 'inadvertently omitted.'

Thomas' ties to billionaires whose political interests have been brought — if not also seen success — before the Supreme Court has sparked calls for the imposition of an ethics code on the justices and instilled doubt in the public's trust of the high court. The latest revelation has only bolstered those concerns with some experts and officials on Friday renewing calls for his resignation.

'Justice Clarence Thomas continues to bring shame upon himself and the United States Supreme Court,' Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'He should resign. What are we going to find out next? A fundraiser for Trump headlined by Clarence Thomas? Ridiculous.'

'Personally, I'd go right to resign. It's long overdue. And I'd revisit the cases he's decided—including Citizens United and Shelby v Holder, which together handed our democracy to the rich—while we're at it. Corruption of the highest order,' said Boston College professor of 19th-century U.S. history Heather Cox Richardson, whose research focuses on American political history and ideology.

Other experts have expressed outrage and further critiqued Thomas over his acceptance of gifts and failure to disclose them or recuse himself from relevant cases.

'The whole point of disclosing conflicts & recusing is to maintain public confidence in key democratic institutions, like the Court,' former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance tweeted. 'It's clear that the integrity of the branch of gov't he serves in is not important to Justice Thomas.'

'Clarence Thomas might not be the finest Justice money can buy, but he's definitely bought,' attorney and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Moe Davis, said on X. 'Imagine if Supreme Court justices were held to the same ethical standards we demand of a 21-year-old Army lieutenant.'

'As a public servant who sacrifices donor $ (I don't take donations from elected officials, PBAs, or attorneys with cases before my office), b/c I believe the justice system should be free from even the appearance of political influence, this sickens me,' added Mimi Rocah, a former federal prosecutor and current district attorney for Westchester County, New York."

[the-emerald-standard]

Biden Administration Takes Major Step Towards Ending Failed Marijuana Policies: Congressional Cannabis Caucus Leaders Applaud Progress

Congressional Cannabis Caucus Leaders React to Marijuana Scheduling Update From Top Biden Official

The leaders of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus have responded to a top Biden official's announcement that the administration is open to reclassifying marijuana under federal law.

In a joint statement, Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and David Joyce (R-OH) said they “applaud” the White House’s stance on marijuana reform.

“This is a major step forward for the millions of Americans who have been harmed by our nation’s outdated and failed marijuana policies,” the lawmakers said. “We are encouraged by the Biden Administration’s willingness to engage in a thoughtful and deliberate process to reschedule marijuana.”

The statement comes after White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the administration is “in active conversations” with the Department of Justice about rescheduling marijuana.

The lawmakers said that rescheduling marijuana would be a “critical step” in allowing states to implement their own marijuana laws without fear of federal interference.

“We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to ensure that marijuana is descheduled and that the harms of criminalization are addressed,” the statement said. “We are confident that the Biden Administration will take the necessary steps to ensure that marijuana is no longer treated as a dangerous drug and that the federal government respects the will of the voters in states that have legalized marijuana.”

The statement was released by the office of Rep. Blumenauer, who is the co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.

Key Points:

The Congressional Cannabis Caucus has responded to a top Biden official's announcement that the administration is open to reclassifying marijuana under federal law.

The lawmakers said that rescheduling marijuana would be a “critical step” in allowing states to implement their own marijuana laws without fear of federal interference.

The statement was released by the office of Rep. Blumenauer, who is the co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.

Source: Marijuana Moment

The news of the Biden administration's willingness to reclassify marijuana under federal law is a major step forward for the millions of Americans who have been harmed by our nation's outdated and failed marijuana policies. With the help of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, we can be confident that the Biden Administration will take the necessary steps to ensure that marijuana is no longer treated as a dangerous drug and that the federal government respects the will of the voters in states that have legalized marijuana.

For businesses in the hemp and cannabis industry, it is important to have an industry trusted testing and compliance partner. ACS Lab is a leader in the hemp and cannabis testing and compliance industry, providing comprehensive testing and compliance services to ensure the safety and quality of hemp and cannabis products. By partnering with ACS Lab, businesses can be confident that their products are compliant with the latest regulations and standards. Learn more about ACS Lab here.

[alaturkanews]

Ohio Rep. David Joyce discusses debt ceiling, George Santos ethics probe

Ohio Rep. David Joyce discusses debt ceiling, George Santos ethics probe

[cavenewstimes]

Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers File Bill To Eliminate Hemp Industry Ban For People With Past Drug Convictions

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have introduced a new bill that seeks to end what they say is a “discriminatory” federal policy that bars people with prior felony drug convictions from owning or leading legal hemp businesses. Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), David Trone (D-MD), Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Nancy Mace (R-SC) are sponsoring the “Free to Grow Act,” which narrowly addresses that past…

[dertaglichedan]

A group of 10 House Republicans helped Democrats sink a bill that would have forced Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to report his flight records on government-owned jets.

The bill — introduced by Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., as an amendment to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation — was defeated in a narrow 219-216 vote late Wednesday. According to the roll call, 10 Republicans voted against while three Democrats voted in favor of the amendment which had language to "require a report on the Secretary of Transportation flight records."

"We are disappointed that Representative Miller’s important amendment failed," Caitlin Sutherland, the executive director for watchdog group Americans for Public Trust (APT), told Fox News Digital. "After Secretary Buttigieg was caught excessively using a taxpayer-funded private jet, his department doubled-down and is refusing to release the true cost of these flights."

"That’s why we’re suing the FAA, because it is the right of the American people to have these records and they deserve transparency," she added.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., and GOP Reps. Troy Balderson, Jack Bergman, Brian Fitzpatrick, Garret Graves, David Joyce, Jennifer Kiggans, Marcus Molinaro and Brandon Williams voted against the amendment. Democratic Reps. Yadira Caraveo, Ted Lieu and Katie Porter voted in favor of the bill.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for Balderson said the congressman had inadvertently voted against the bill and asked the House Clerk to reverse his vote.

[mariacallous]

The House is expected to vote Monday evening on the rules package for the 118th Congress, in what will mark the first test of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s slim Republican majority after he made key concessions to GOP hardliners to win the gavel.

McCarthy’s concessions to the hardliners frustrated some centrist House Republicans, and GOP leaders were racing Monday to alleviate those concerns. Sources told CNN that GOP leaders placed numerous calls and texts to Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who said Sunday she was “on the fence” over the House rules package.

On Monday afternoon, Mace’s office said the South Carolina Republican would vote for the rules package – a significant sign that centrist Republicans weren’t going to revolt.

McCarthy’s allies have been fanning the airwaves to try to clarify what is and isn’t in the rules package, particularly as it relates to defense spending.

Republican leadership is confident they will have the votes for the rules package, but with such little margin for error – and this vote seen as McCarthy’s first test of whether he can govern – leaders are leaving little to chance.

GOP leaders are hoping to quickly push past the rules and onto their legislative agenda, with a vote slated for Monday evening after the rules on a bill to roll back $80 billion funding to staff up the Internal Revenue Service that was included in the Inflation Reduction Act, a massive social spending bill passed by Democrats in the last Congress.

Still, the skirmish over the House rules underscores the herculean task McCarthy faces as the leader of a House with a slim four-vote Republican majority that gives a small bloc of members on either side of the Republican political spectrum outsized sway to stand in the way of legislation.

In order to flip the 20 GOP holdouts last week, McCarthy agreed to a number of concessions. That included returning the House rules so that one member can move for a vote to oust the speaker. The California Republican agreed to expand the mandate of a new select committee investigating the “weaponization” of the federal government to include probing “ongoing criminal investigations,” setting up a showdown with the Biden administration and law enforcement agencies over their criminal probes, particularly those into former President Donald Trump.

McCarthy also signed off on a pledge that the Republican-led House would pair any debt ceiling increase to spending cuts and would approve a budget capping discretionary spending at fiscal 2022 levels – which, if implemented, would roll back the fiscal 2023 spending increase for both defense and non-defense spending from last month’s $1.7 trillion omnibus package.

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzalez was the first Republican to oppose the House rules on Friday. He said on Fox News Monday morning that he remained a no.

“I’m against the rules for a couple different reasons. One is the cut in defense spending, I think that’s an absolutely terrible idea, the other is the vacate the chair. I mean I don’t want to see us every two months be in lockdown,” Gonzalez said.

Mace had said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that she was “on the fence” about the rules package because she didn’t support “a small number of people trying to get a deal done or deals done for themselves in private.”

Republicans expected to back the rules package are also coming to grips with the concessions that McCarthy had to make to secure the speakership.

Rep. David Joyce, a moderate Ohio Republican, told CNN that McCarthy should be concerned that a single member can force that vote of no-confidence on the speakership.

“I’m not the speaker. So it concerns Kevin more than it concerns me, but that just took it back the way it was originally. And I don’t think that is going to change the way we do business around here,” he said, adding it should only be used in the most extreme of circumstances.

Asked if everyone agrees with that, Joyce told CNN: “Probably not.”

Rep. Tom Cole, the chairman of the House Rules Committee, told CNN: “I’m willing to cut spending and we need to do that. I’m not willing to cut defense and that is half the discretionary budget.”

Republican allies of McCarthy have sought to push back on the notion they will cut defense spending, saying it’s domestic spending that will be targeted.

“There’s going to be good conversations, there already has been, that you can’t cut defense, right? It needs to go on a very predictable trajectory,” said Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican. “We have massively increased spending on the non-defense programs, because that’s always the deal, right? There’s plenty to work with there, in my opinion.”

House GOP leaders are planning to hold votes this week on a bevy of red-meat messaging bills on taxes, abortion and energy, starting with Monday’s vote to roll back the IRS funding increases.

The bill is likely to pass the House on party lines but won’t be taken up by the Democratic-majority Senate.