GOP Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie spoke on the House floor Monday, revealing the dirty tactics used to strongarm elected officials into passing legislature they’d normally oppose.
Massie explained continuing resolution (CR) government funding bills are intentionally put to vote at the end of December when politicians want to go home and spend the holidays with their families so they’ll vote on something they might not necessarily agree with.
This evening, I described how the Speaker is using the CR to set up a government funding crisis the week before Christmas.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 24, 2024
Why Christmas? So he can pressure Members to vote for a bill they haven’t read, by using their desire to see their families on Christmas Eve against them. pic.twitter.com/nPv6BZcAz9
“When you get to December, 20th, you’re five days from Christmas, you’re four days from Christmas Eve and you desperately want to be there with your family. So, this is when the leadership here has the maximum influence, and again I’m talking to the Democrats and the Republicans because you’ve seen it on the Democrat side of the aisle, they love to pick the week before Christmas for this showdown…” the congressman said.
He then predicted Congress will not spend its time between now and Christmas working on twelve separate bills, and instead suggested the lawmakers will likely end up passing a bill that is “written behind closed doors” with attachments for “every lobbyist” in D.C.
Massie told the American people, “It’s gonna be the same old thing, warmed over, written behind closed doors, rolled out here. We’re not gonna have time to read this thing… And, we’re gonna be told, ‘Vote for this and you can go home and open presents with your kids. Don’t vote for it and you’re gonna be stuck here.’ It pulls at heartstrings.”
Ending his comments, the Kentucky congressman said his peers are being pressured by using their families and Christmas holiday as hostages so they’ll pass an inflated bill they don’t have time to read.