Surprising Employment Gains – The U.S. economy added 336,000 jobs in September, the Labor Department reports, which is about twice the level economic analysts had predicted. The unemployment level remained unchanged at 3.8%. Gains were reported in the usual places; leisure and hospitality, government, health care, professional, scientific and technical services, and social assistance.
-- Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa
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Conservative and Conservativer – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) (above), co-founder of the Freedom Caucus, are lead candidates to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker of the House, expected to come up for vote next Wednesday.
Scalise is ostensibly slightly the more moderate of the two, a well-liked, good-humored lawmaker who was severely wounded at a congressional softball game a few years ago. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy for blood cancer. Though the number-two Republican under McCarthy, Scalise is not the former speaker’s choice.
A rift between the two goes back to 2018, when Scalise expressed interest in stepping over McCarthy to replace Paul Ryan (R-WI) as speaker before that year’s midterms turned the House over to the Democrats and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Semafor scoops that McCarthy aides have been calling lawmakers on behalf of Jim Jordan, who in his role as chairman of the Judiciary Committee is in charge of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
“It’s unclear if McCarthy himself has sanctioned their work,” Semafor’s Kadia Goba reports, describing the former speaker’s aides as “consulting and providing guidance” to Jordan.
Meanwhile, many Republicans are pushing to remove the “motion to vacate” rule that did McCarthy in.
“That needs to go,” said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), one of more than 70 members of the Main Street Caucus. He calls it a “chokehold on this body,” (per Semafor). Lawler’s district voted for Joe Biden in 2020.
Ukraine v. Mexican border: Jordan says he opposes any additional financial aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russia, while the Pentagon says that aid will soon run out, NPR reports. President Biden soon will address the nation to present his case for the need for an additional $24 billion the White House says is crucial to Ukraine’s continuing offensive against Russian forces.
Just asking: Is Jordan’s opposition to continuing aid to Ukraine simply good old-fashioned conservatism, or does it have anything to do with former President Trump’s admiration for, and connections to, dictator Vladimir Putin?
It must be noted that a majority of House and Senate Republicans favor continued support for Ukraine. On this particular matter, Jordan's ascendance to speaker would further the chamber's minority rule.
Meanwhile, in Spain: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Spain Thursday for a summit of European leaders at Alhamnbra Palace to plead for continued support of Ukraine’s defense.
--TL
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Speaker Blown Out
TUESDAY 10/3/23
The New York Times called it a “far-right revolt.” The Washington Post referred to the removal of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) Tuesday afternoon as a “vote led by hard-right Republicans,” and The Wall Street Journal called the Rep. Matt Gaetz-led (R-FL) group “party dissidents.”
CQ Roll Call simply called them a “Republican bloc,” but along with Democrats who had no trust in McCarthy nor interest in saving him – as they might have – they made up the 216 votes necessary to make him the first House speaker, ever, to be removed from office, with 210 congress members voting “nay.” The Capitol Hill newsletter helpfully added that “(t)he only previous vote to oust a speaker using a ‘motion to vacate’ came in 1910, when Republican Speaker Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois easily survived.”
What now? That was a question shouted out by one of the House members after the roll call vote revealed McCarthy’s stunning six-vote loss, NPR’s All Things Considered reported. For now, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) will preside over the election of a new speaker, and House Democrats have about 44 days to enjoy the GOP’s disarray, before the continuing resolution extending the fiscal 2023 budget expires, again. Perhaps it's time for McCarthy to pull a John Boehner?
--TL
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...meanwhile...
TUESDAY 10/2/23
Gaetz Goes After McCarthy – MAGA Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida introduced a resolution late Monday evening to strip Speaker Kevin McCarthy of his gavel. A vote to depose McCarthy is likely within 48 hours, according to The Washington Post. Gaetz has criticized McCarthy for working with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling earlier this year and for reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown late last Saturday. He says he and his House cohorts want less government spending and a return to the budget process.
Asked who he would like to see replace McCarthy, Gaetz pointed to “our number two, Steve Scalise,” Republican from Louisiana.
In an earlier presser before his motion to remove, however, Gaetz reminded the press that one does not have to be a member of Congress to serve as speaker of the House. Voila! Donald J. Trump returns to Capitol Hill.
Trump Towering Inferno … Except … a couple of hours earlier than that, ex-President Trump turned up at the first day of New York Attorney Gen. Letitia James’ civil trial accusing Trump, the Trump Organization and Eric and Don Jr. of a yearslong pattern of financial fraud.
Trump, who did not have to appear in court for this civil case turned it into a campaign stop, CNN notes, saying he showed up “because I wanted to watch the witch hunt myself.” He called Justice Arthur Engoron “deranged” and accused him of being a Democratic operative. Engoron last week found Trump, his organization and his sons liable in the case last week but commenced with the trial to establish damages.
AG James wants to see a $250 million fine and a five-year ban on Trump & org and sons from doing business in New York State. Licenses have already been revoked for such flagship properties as Trump Tower and Trump International Hotel.
--TL
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Shutdown Averted
Monday 10/2/23
Donald J. Trump and his MAGA-band minority of House Republicans were defeated hours before the fiscal year’s pressing deadline Saturday night when the Senate cleared a House bill keeping the lights on for another 46 days. The House bill did not have the $6 billion for Ukraine included in the Senate bill.
“Democrats and Republicans have come to an agreement the government will remain open,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced before the 88-9 vote. “We will have avoided a shutdown.”
Prior to the vote, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said his caucus would avoid cloture to let the vote go through.
“We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” President Biden said in a statement Saturday night, CQ Roll Call reports. “I fully expect the Speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.”
And the Republican minority’s provision for strict border control provisions also went missing, first in the House’s 335-91 vote for the bill that went to the Senate.
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) said he “made very clear that I wouldn’t support any short-term funding bill that didn’t include serious border measurements to help put an end to the Biden Border crisis,” per The Hill.
The other eight senators who voted against the bill Saturday were Republicans Marsha Blacburn (TN), Mike Braun (IN), Ted Cruz (TX), Bill Hagerty (TN), Mike Lee (UT), Roger Marshall (KS), Rand Paul (KY), Eric Scmitt (MO) and J.D. Vance (OH).
--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa