A congressional Republican has outlined a strategy for his party to wield influence over the national political landscape if the GOP fails to re-take the Senate and only retakes only the House in the November midterm elections.
Rep. Thomas Massie, who represents Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, expressed concern that if his party only regains a majority in the House, members might believe they won’t be able to accomplish much.
But, in a thread posted to Twitter, he reassures congressional allies, “we can do a lot to roll back Biden’s agenda because we have the power of the purse. We just have to be smart.”
🧵I’m concerned that elected Republicans will say “we can’t do much” or “pick one thing to fight” if we gain control of the House while Biden is still president.
But we can do a lot to roll back Biden’s agenda because we have the power of the purse. We just have to be smart.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) August 31, 2022
Earlier in the year, Republicans were expected to trounce Democrats in the midterms amid soaring gas prices, record high inflation, controversy stemming from the U.S. military’s controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan, and no substantive policy wins for the Biden administration and Democrats.
Throughout the summer, the political winds shifted and Democrats showed gains in support, after the U.S. Supreme Court decision to roll back Roe v. Wade ignited enthusiasm among Democrats and swing voters, and Biden got handed a boost politically after both chambers of congress passed a signature piece of legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act.
Now, analysts say Republicans — once favored to carry the House and Senate — may lose the Senate and win a majority of seats in the lower chamber.
Massie reassured his colleagues that even if this scenario emerges, post-election they would still be able to effectively legislate.
He called to discontinue lengthy Omnibus bills (a single bill with multiple spending priorities) in favor of passing separate spending bills to fund items like roads, the military, NASA and national parks. He also noted a failsafe to avoid government shutdowns.
“On day 1 of our majority, 9 months before spending bills are due, [we can] pass a continuing resolution that funds the entire government at 95% of current levels IF the 12 bills don’t pass. Remind everyone everyday government won’t shutdown, because the House already passed a backstop,” Massie wrote. “This strategy allows us to use our power of the purse to defund several of Biden’s harmful policies while insulating my more vulnerable Republican colleagues from the media’s giddy hope of blaming the GOP for a shutdown.”
Massie suggested his strategy can be implemented to impact energy policy, inflationary spending policy, COVID-19 vaccine mandates, politicization of bureaucratic agencies, gun rights, and foreign aid.
