The Week In Politics Nov. 11-17
It’s another week here at Politics Explained, meaning another blog filled with the latest on Capitol Hill. This week we’ve got the avoidance of a government shutdown, Tim Scott dropping out of the running for president, and fights on Capitol Hill. If you’re new here, we write about the happenings on Capitol Hill, in short and concise blogs easy for all levels of readers to understand. This week was one filled with big decisions, surprising news, and even violence, so let's dive right into it.
The House and Senate have passed a bill to prevent a shutdown and fund the government into early 2024! Speaker Mike Johnson had to rely on Democratic votes as the House passed legislation in the face of opposition from many Republicans. Democratic support was needed because of the unwillingness from many in the Republican party, a trend seen under Speaker McCarthy. Some Republicans, including the House Freedom Caucus, opposed the measure, citing the absence of spending reductions and border security. Speaker Johnson's reliance on Democrats to pass the bill stirred up criticism fromfar-rightt conservatives,but theree ares no signs yet of the desire to get rid of him. The bill passed with a vote of 336 to 95, requiring a supermajority (more than two-thirds). It funds federal agencies at current levels until the dates of Jan. 19 and Feb. 2, allowing time for negotiations of the annual spending bill. The bill's approval prevented a shutdown crisis for now, but it only buys Congress a few more months before facing similar funding challenges.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott has surprised many after dropping out of the presidential race! A reason for this is Scott failed to gain significant traction, never getting over 4 percent in national polls. Scott's debate performances were rated as average, but his support declined after everyone. Although there was talk about Scott becoming the Republican vice presidential nominee, he denied these ideas. It seems now that Scott’s support has flocked to Nikki Haley, as she’s gained many donors who were previous supporters of Scott and oppose Donald Trump. Although Tim Scott dropping out is not expected to have any notable effect on Trump’s popularity, many see Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis as the only ones capable of possibly taking him down.
To end off this week's blog, let's go over some of the drama on Capitol Hill. Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy apparently elbowed Representative Tim Burchett, one of the people who had voted to oust him. However, McCarthy denied any fight or argument, attributing it to a crowded hallway. In the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, tensions were rising. Senator Markwayne Mullin challenged labor leader Sean O’Brien to a physical fight, by reading confrontational social media posts. This situation came to be during the actual committee hearing as Senators Mullin and O’Brien exchanged strong words with each other. On the other side of Congress, in the House Oversight Committee hearing, Representatives James R. Comer and Jared Moskowitz were in a shouting match, cussing each other out while discussing Hunter Biden's finances. Comer called Moskowitz a liar and told him, "You look like a Smurf." All of these incidents can be seen as the result of rising tension and stress in Congress, as lawmakers have been working for long periods without recess* trying to avoid a government shutdown.
*A period of time when the legislature is not in session. The legislators and staff are focused on work in their individual districts or preparing to return to Session.
