Some House Republicans revolted over austere reductions in Community Development Block Grants in the appropriation bill for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD). Keep in mind that this was not a vote that would have become law. Whatever the House appropriates must be reconciled with what the Senate appropriates, and then that reconciled bill must be signed by the president.
This was just an effort by the House to abide by Paul Ryan’s budget outlines. And they couldn’t do it. Also, keep in mind that this is one of the least controversial appropriations bills. Spending on transportation is pretty popular. Do you remember all the fun we had mocking Republican lawmakers who took credit for transportation spending in the Stimulus bill that they had voted against? It turns out that dramatically cutting spending on popular programs is not politically beneficial. Who could have known? Yet, roads, bridges, and community development block grants are not as politically fraught as education spending or labor policy.
It won’t get any easier for the House appropriators as they attempt to move the remaining bills through the process. In short, the Ryan Budget is a dead parrot.
And it never made any sense to force the Republicans to vote for incredibly unpopular cuts that would never become law. It makes sense to vote for things that are popular regardless of whether or not they will become law. But unpopular votes only make sense when you can point to some kind of actual achievement, like improving the balance sheet. Voting to cut people’s Medicare or Social Security in going to be unpopular and makes no sense unless it actually goes into effect.
But that’s basically the entire strategy of the Ryan Budget. The House is supposed to vote for the most austere budget even though no one thinks it will ever become law. It’s not a surprise that Republican lawmakers are unwilling to go along with this idiotic plan.
The problem is, the House will not admit its mistake. So, we’re headed to a catastrophe.
