House Speaker election/circus/all ages carnival - ongoing coverage

[Paratus]

Contractor here, but we're fully funded so we keep working.

And GS15 isn't the highest the scale goes. You have SES beyond that.

I'd never jump over because the scale wouldn't match even if I was confirmed as SecDef.

CS pays better than most contractor positions here, especially since we aren’t DOD. We are also in a top five location for locality pay and have a semi-reasonable cost of living.

The retirement benefits are also pretty good. 5% matching and for us 1-1.1% per year of service as a pension. At 30 years of service or 60 years old and 20+ years of service you can retire with the full pension. A lot of older folks take early retirement and then go back to work as contractors allowing them to take their pension and work a job at potentially a salary bump.

This is a big reason why I've never considered taking a federal job - once every few years or so you're basically guaranteed to stop getting paid for a while.

I have to assume at least some people in Congress realize how damaging this is for the ability of the feds to recruit a strong workforce, although I imagine the Republicans view this as a feature and not a bug.

It’s a pain but with the financial help available it’s not too bad. At least for our agency it doesn’t impact recruitment too much. Helps always being one of the highest rated government agencies to work for.

 

[fskimospy]

CS pays better than most contractor positions here, especially since we aren’t DOD. We are also in a top five location for locality pay and have a semi-reasonable cost of living.

The retirement benefits are also pretty good. 5% matching and for us 1-1.1% per year of service as a pension. At 30 years of service or 60 years old and 20+ years of service you can retire with the full pension. A lot of older folks take early retirement and then go back to work as contractors allowing them to take their pension and work a job at potentially a salary bump.

It’s a pain but with the financial help available it’s not too bad. At least for our agency it doesn’t impact recruitment too much. Helps always being one of the highest rated government agencies to work for.

Yeah it sounds (sadly) that there's been some infrastructure/processes built up around accounting for these shutdowns and I'm glad to hear your agency isn't impacted by it much.

That being said, I feel I'm not alone in avoiding federal work for that reason. Not that I'm SO GREAT or anything but especially since these shutdowns never accomplish anything it's unfortunate for the recruiting pool.

 

[hal2kilo]

Sadly, anyone expect anything else at this point. They've got a president to indict which is way more important than getting government to work.

Seems this isn't going so well. That damn evidence thing keeps haunting them.

Impeachment just spectacularly blew up in Republicans' faces

Sadly, this will not be the end of Republicans' reckless escapades

www.salon.com

Even though, once again, Joe Biden wasn't in office at the time which these Republicans don't seem to realize means that he wasn't in a position to commit treason or whatever they think he's done, they sure made it sound suspicious.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Sorry all, Mike Johnson has more important things to do than work on the government shutdown.

He is in Paris to give a speech to other right wing nut jobs.

Worldside Freedom conference

 

[MrSquished]

The Democratic marketing teams better get this guys shit all over attack ads next year. Plaster the airwaves with them

House Speaker Mike Johnson Plays Dumb When Asked About His Vote Against Birth Control

On Sunday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) claimed in a cable news interview that he simply couldn’t recall whether he’d voted against birth control—despite doing so a little over a year ago.

news.yahoo.com

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Really Sherman?

Why Is Mike Johnson Flying a Christian Nationalist Flag Outside His Office?​

New Republic|9 hours ago
House Speaker Mike Johnson has three flags hanging outside his office: the American flag, the Louisiana state flag, and a flag representing a movement that wants to turn the United States into a religious Christian nation. Normal stuff, you know?



.

 

[JEDI]

Maga Mike pursuing two-step plan to avert government shutdown​

House GOP pursuing two-step plan to avert government shutdown | CNN Politics

lite.cnn.com

While Johnson embraced the right wing of his conference by pitching the two-step approach, he didn’t fully cave to their wishes. The package does not include the deep spending cuts that his right flank pushed for but instead extends funding at its current levels.

“This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories,” Johnson said in a statement Saturday.

The first bill would extend funding until January 19 and would include military construction, Veterans Affairs, transportation and housing as well as the Energy Department. The second part of the bill, which would extend funding until February 2, would include funding for the rest of the government.

Neither bill includes additional aid for Israel or Ukraine.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries previously slammed the prospect of a two-step continuing resolution as a nonstarter, calling it a ”right-wing joyride which would crash and burn the economy.”


So Mikey is trying to find a middle ground to appease his nuts ultra right wing of his party. the FreeDumb caucus wanted multi-step AND deep cuts.
One FreeDumb repub already said he's against the bill because no cuts in spending.

Interestingly, he's not giving $ to either Isreal (Repubs want) or Urkaine (Dems want).
But it hurts Urkraine more since Isreal really doesnt need aid in their war vs a 3rd world organization.

Lets see if Mikey can actually get this thing passed or will the govt shuts down and the circus returns? (No popcorn since this hurts alot of people)

 

[K1052]

The stupid two step CR is however clean and the right flank of his party is already turning on him for it so substantial Dem support would be required. Senate is likely to jam the House with their own clean CR.

 

[JEDI]

The stupid two step CR is however clean and the right flank of his party is already turning on him for it so substantial Dem support would be required. Senate is likely to jam the House with their own clean CR.

But Jefferies has already come out against it so Mikey needs to pass it on his own from his fellow Repubs.

However, if he does get it passed and the Senate version (ie: Dem) is a 1 step CR then it'll be interesting to see which side caves in 1st.
or the govt shuts down.

There's no '1 1/2 step' CR that you can realistically create to compromise on.

 

[zinfamous]

This is a big reason why I've never considered taking a federal job - once every few years or so you're basically guaranteed to stop getting paid for a while.

I have to assume at least some people in Congress realize how damaging this is for the ability of the feds to recruit a strong workforce, although I imagine the Republicans view this as a feature and not a bug.

EXACTLY! This is why Faux news exists: "So that Richard Nixon's--resignation--can no longer happen again" according to Roger Ailes, anyway. The crimes of the Republican party must forever and furthermore protected by any laws of the United States, flat out. That is the purpose of the specific propaganda wing of the very real insurrection party.

Government must be weakened to the point that any laws bearing against the GOP in it's decades-long process to deconstruct the USA into a new Christian nationalist regime of Southern WASP bastards. Trust in the government, and all the evils of the world that we enact upon our people very popularly, must be diminished and blame set-upon, thereon. It's the only fucking rung in their party ladder for the last 4 decades. Erode the United States such that White Fascism will reign.

This is why they inject themselves with Testosterone, Paleo diets, Joe Rogan, and ride their pales horses to the siren call of "The return of male--white--power to restore PURE ROME to the Western White World." That's literally what these fucks are on about.

These TV shutdowns that actually play with real people's lives have been turned into Romper Room for their fucking subjects: all addicted to fucking Wendy's and Oxycontin, and they will never give any more fucks than that. Hell, just read their posts here!

 

[zinfamous]

Really Sherman?

Why Is Mike Johnson Flying a Christian Nationalist Flag Outside His Office?​

New Republic|9 hours ago
House Speaker Mike Johnson has three flags hanging outside his office: the American flag, the Louisiana state flag, and a flag representing a movement that wants to turn the United States into a religious Christian nation. Normal stuff, you know?



.

It's because they are all FUCKING NAZIS.

full stop. Can we stop pretending to think otherwise, for fear of "offending our 'pleasant but difficult' Nazi neighbors" that always seem to vote for Donald Trump and soulless husks of ultra-refined corn protein, like Mitt fucking Romney and Mike Pence?

 

[K1052]

It's because they are all FUCKING NAZIS.

full stop. Can we stop pretending to think otherwise, for fear of "offending our 'pleasant but difficult' Nazi neighbors" that always seem to vote for Donald Trump and soulless husks of ultra-refined corn protein, like Mitt fucking Romney and Mike Pence?

It would be nice if the press could manage to convey accurate portraits of virulently homophobic christofascists as being total godamn lunatics who should not be in power.

 

[Brainonska511]

It would be nice if the press could manage to convey accurate portraits of virulently homophobic christofascists as being total godamn lunatics who should not be in power.

Yeah, but you need a counter story to "both sides" everything, lest you appear biased for reporting the truth that one side is completely insane.

 

[K1052]

Yeah, but you need a counter story to "both sides" everything, lest you appear biased for reporting the truth that one side is completely insane.

"To some their beliefs that homosexuals should be imprisoned and divorce made illegal might appear unconventional but to their neighbor Bob they are just quiet everyday people who keep their yard clean".

 

[MrSquished]

I posted this in the P&N's name is thread. Perfect example of the so-called Liberal media tip toeing around the worst of the MAGA while giving it to the Dems.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Anybody see a church side to Sherman's budget plan sermon? Push the fight off until after the Holy Days?

 

[hal2kilo]

Yeah, but you need a counter story to "both sides" everything, lest you appear biased for reporting the truth that one side is completely insane.

I nominate Smerconish to be in charge.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Looks like Sherman snuck one over on the Extremists and got his temporary spending bill passed with some Dems.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Good for him, seriously I am not kidding. He got it done with minimal drama, a feat those before him recently have been incapable of doing.

 

[MrSquished]

The Dems save the day again.

 

[K1052]

Good for him, seriously I am not kidding. He got it done with minimal drama, a feat those before him recently have been incapable of doing.

I would not call what's going on in the House "minimal drama". They still can't pass their appropriations bills and I doubt that's going to change in Jan/Feb.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I would not call what's going on in the House "minimal drama". They still can't pass their appropriations bills and I doubt that's going to change in Jan/Feb.

Okay less drama. Still better than the last two.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Plus MAGAt Tail Greene is having a(nother) fit.

 

[eelw]

Good for him, seriously I am not kidding. He got it done with minimal drama, a feat those before him recently have been incapable of doing.

Yeah I wouldn’t trust the word of these MAGAtard congress critters, but they said they will let Johnson complete the term without threat of call to remove.

 

[JEDI]

Looks like Sherman snuck one over on the Extremists and got his temporary spending bill passed with some Dems.

Why did the Dems accept the 2 tier CR?
Maga Mike did not have the R votes to pass it by himself.
He bought his gimmick bill directly onto the floor bypassing procedure but he needed 2/3 of the House to vote yes.

Why did the Dems give him a lifeline?
They all could let the procedural vote fail by just voting Present. it would to give them political cover without directly voting against the bill