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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,063 posts)
Wed Mar 28, 2018, 02:13 PM Mar 2018

GOP ponders how to fill rest of 2018

Republican leaders are mulling what to do for the rest of the year after passing a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending package.

Legislative activity will slow down dramatically after the Easter recess as vulnerable incumbents seek to spend more time campaigning ahead of the fall midterm elections.

GOP leaders haven’t said much about what’s next.

Infrastructure will now take center stage, but there are deep divisions within the party over the scope of the legislation, how much it should cost and how to pay for it.

Senate Energy Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wants it to include energy infrastructure development.

Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) wants it to include broadband development in rural areas.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) wants the package to focus on traditional infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges.

And while Republicans agree that the package should be paid for with a mix of public and private financing, there’s no agreement on how much taxpayers should kick in.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/380568-gop-ponders-how-to-fill-rest-of-2018?userid=229233

Channeling Maynard G Krebs I guess

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GOP ponders how to fill rest of 2018 (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2018 OP
Probably more tax cuts for the rich. subterranean Mar 2018 #1
Likely to be big $$ contracts to cronies to build and charge tolls. SharonAnn Mar 2018 #4
Hard to say what they'll do gratuitous Mar 2018 #2
start a war in June, maybe? 0rganism Mar 2018 #3

SharonAnn

(13,766 posts)
4. Likely to be big $$ contracts to cronies to build and charge tolls.
Wed Mar 28, 2018, 04:31 PM
Mar 2018

Sweet deal:
Gov't uses "eminent domain" to acquire needed land/property
Contract is given to crony to build it
Cost overruns occur
When completed, crony owns it
Crony charges tolls/usage fees to use the infrastructure that public $$ built.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
2. Hard to say what they'll do
Wed Mar 28, 2018, 04:22 PM
Mar 2018

They did the tax cut thing. But actual governance isn't really why Republicans run for office. Besides, if they enact legislation, some of the wrong people might benefit, and who wants to spend the summer explaining to a bunch of yahoos why "those people" are getting something from gummint, too. Also, they're not very good at it.

Probably best not to do anything, and just whine about how the mean ol' Dummycrats won't let them do anything. It's worked pretty well so far, and if their voters don't quite realize that there's being lied to, maybe another term is in the works.

0rganism

(23,855 posts)
3. start a war in June, maybe?
Wed Mar 28, 2018, 04:28 PM
Mar 2018

Iran, North Korea, wherever, take your pick

then we can have an extra-patriotic extra-militaristic July and roll into the midterms on a rising tide of fascist nationalism

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