2023 Republican House Follies

[Smoove_B]

That's weird because Johnson knows how to manage money.

Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) does not have a bank account.

At least, that’s what Johnson reports on years of personal financial disclosures, which date back to 2016 and reveal a financial life that, in the context of his role as a congressman and now speaker, appears extraordinarily precarious.

Over the course of seven years, Johnson has never reported a checking or savings account in his name, nor in the name of his wife or any of his children, disclosures show. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have money stashed in any investments, with his latest filing—covering 2022—showing no assets whatsoever.

[Octavious]

[coopasonic]

The Republicans are desperate to prevent the IRS from hiring auditors. It’s like they’re under the influence of a tax cheat … like former President Trump. It’s not criminal tax evasion if you’re never audited (sigh).

Even if the funds are allocated, there isn’t enough qualified people to work for the IRS. My firm would love to find more competent estate tax attorneys — and we’ll pay much more than a government wage.

I guess if the IRS budget is cut, you won't need your hires to be competent.

[coopasonic]

That's weird because Johnson knows how to manage money.

Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) does not have a bank account.

At least, that’s what Johnson reports on years of personal financial disclosures, which date back to 2016 and reveal a financial life that, in the context of his role as a congressman and now speaker, appears extraordinarily precarious.

Over the course of seven years, Johnson has never reported a checking or savings account in his name, nor in the name of his wife or any of his children, disclosures show. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have money stashed in any investments, with his latest filing—covering 2022—showing no assets whatsoever.

Just like my 17yo son that I am getting some heat for.

[LordMortis]

That's weird because Johnson knows how to manage money.

Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) does not have a bank account.

At least, that’s what Johnson reports on years of personal financial disclosures, which date back to 2016 and reveal a financial life that, in the context of his role as a congressman and now speaker, appears extraordinarily precarious.

Over the course of seven years, Johnson has never reported a checking or savings account in his name, nor in the name of his wife or any of his children, disclosures show. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have money stashed in any investments, with his latest filing—covering 2022—showing no assets whatsoever.

How does he cash checks? Does he do any sort of epayment? Prior to 2008 or so, I'd believe it. Mattress stashing was still a thing people with money and power could do. Today, you'd have to be in a largely cash business... Like, say, a congress person? Really?

[$iljanus]

That's weird because Johnson knows how to manage money.

Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) does not have a bank account.

At least, that’s what Johnson reports on years of personal financial disclosures, which date back to 2016 and reveal a financial life that, in the context of his role as a congressman and now speaker, appears extraordinarily precarious.

Over the course of seven years, Johnson has never reported a checking or savings account in his name, nor in the name of his wife or any of his children, disclosures show. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have money stashed in any investments, with his latest filing—covering 2022—showing no assets whatsoever.

Does he get an actual paper check? And even so, where does that go?

Even a search for "Christian banking" came up with credit unions and banks which are actual financial institutions bound by the usual reporting laws in this country.

(Time to do a search for countries that have "discreet" bank accounts)

[ImLawBoy]

The House released it's emergency spending proposal and it's clearly being driven by the hard right. Dollars for Israel offset by self-defeating spending cuts. No aid for Ukraine. No aid for Gaza. A policy disaster if it were to be enacted. Which it won't because he probably can't even get his party to pass it.

After the last month - and everything that's happened in the House and internationally - that is one hell of an opening move. Can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Sounds like it's time for the Democrats to show that they're the bigger party and pass this proposal!

[Apollo]

The House released it's emergency spending proposal and it's clearly being driven by the hard right. Dollars for Israel offset by self-defeating spending cuts. No aid for Ukraine. No aid for Gaza. A policy disaster if it were to be enacted. Which it won't because he probably can't even get his party to pass it.

After the last month - and everything that's happened in the House and internationally - that is one hell of an opening move. Can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Sounds like it's time for the Democrats to show that they're the bigger party and pass this proposal!

[malchior]

[Octavious]

Good to see that he's the sack of shit that we didn't know. They knew that was dead on arrival, but I had to toss that out there to prove a point. What a clown show. I wonder how long the shutdown will be because that's totally going to happen.

[Unagi]

lol - what a joke. I imagine any place where you cut support for collecting revenue, you have likely increased deficit.

[Unagi]

Sounds like it's time for the Democrats to show that they're the bigger party and pass this proposal!

[malchior]

Good to see that he's the sack of shit that we didn't know.

Anyone who could take the job had to be a sack of shit. Heck most of the caucus are people who have no place in government. That's the GOP.

They knew that was dead on arrival, but I had to toss that out there to prove a point. What a clown show. I wonder how long the shutdown will be because that's totally going to happen.

Right. We're deep in the performative part of our story of national decline.

[LordMortis]

lol - what a joke. I imagine any place where you cut support for collecting revenue, you have likely increased deficit.

Only in business when you decrease collections do they call it increasing deficit. His doucheness is already smelling.

[GreenGoo]

Now is the time to work together on a bipartisan solution!

[Zaxxon]

Now is the time to work together on a bipartisan solution!

If only a few Ds would reach across the aisle, I'm sure something could be made to work.

[Smoove_B]

Ken Buck announces retirement:

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) said Wednesday that he would not seek reelection next year, expressing disappointment that many fellow Republicans continue to push the “big lie” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

“I have decided that it is time for me to do some other things,” Buck said in an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell. “I always have been disappointed with our inability in Congress to deal with major issues, and I’m also disappointed that the Republican Party continues to rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen.”

Buck’s announcement came hours after Rep. Kay Granger (R-Tex.) also said she would not seek reelection next year.

Like Buck, Granger was one of the roughly two dozen Republicans who opposed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for the speakership last month — and who drew criticism from hard-right parts of the Republican base for doing so. The holdouts ultimately forced Jordan to withdraw from the race, and both Buck and Granger later backed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for the leadership position.

[Octavious]

Not a great sign when a super right wing dude says the party is too extreme for him.

[Smoove_B]

Part of me wonders if they see what's happening to the party (continuing to lurch to the right) and they're actively deciding they don't want to be part of what they think is coming in November of 2024. In other words, people like Buck are going to cash in their chips and head for the hills...

[Zaxxon]

Ken Buck appeared on MSNBC and he said he was withholding his votes from Scalise and Jordan waiting for 3 answers. Would they say out loud that 2020 wasn't stolen? What is the budget number they are seeking? And would they commit to putting a Ukraine aid bill on the floor so that moderates on both sides could vote it through? That sounds like almost normal behavior.

Don't be fooled. Buck represents Weld county, and has quite the history. Antivaxxer, voted against the pandemic relief bill, multiple scandals & ethics violations. Fits in just fine.

Smoove beat me to it, but we can now chalk this one up to the 'Republican says/does something honorable only because they know they are not up for re-election' trend.

[Octavious]

Part of me wonders if they see what's happening to the party (continuing to lurch to the right) and they're actively deciding they don't want to be part of what they think is coming in November of 2024. In other words, people like Buck are going to cash in their chips and head for the hills...

He can grift and avoid being directly in bed with the Nazis. Win/Win.

[LordMortis]

Part of me wonders if they see what's happening to the party (continuing to lurch to the right) and they're actively deciding they don't want to be part of what they think is coming in November of 2024. In other words, people like Buck are going to cash in their chips and head for the hills...

Blue wave them into irrelevance or get Primaried by someone much more MAGA? I'd love to believe it's the former, but I tend to believe it's all about the later.

[gilraen]

Unfortunately that probably means that Weld County is going to send someone even crazier to Washington. Barring an epic seismic shift in their demographics, it's highly unlikely that a Democrat can win there - after all, this is the county that wanted to put a measure on the Nov 2021 ballot to secede from Colorado and join Wyoming.

[Freyland]

Unfortunately that probably means that Weld County is going to send someone even crazier to Washington. Barring an epic seismic shift in their demographics, it's highly unlikely that a Democrat can win there - after all, this is the county that wanted to put a measure on the Nov 2021 ballot to secede from Colorado and join Wyoming.

Nah, you only have to worry when they want to secede to a non-adjacent state.

[Carpet_pissr]

people like Buck are going to cash in their chips and head for the hillsCanada/Belize/Colombia, etc....

FTFY

[Isgrimnur]

Unfortunately that probably means that Weld County is going to send someone even crazier to Washington. Barring an epic seismic shift in their demographics, it's highly unlikely that a Democrat can win there - after all, this is the county that wanted to put a measure on the Nov 2021 ballot to secede from Colorado and join Wyoming.

Nah, you only have to worry when they want to secede to a non-adjacent state.

Weldiningrad Oblast

[Daehawk]

Ill add to this.

[Smoove_B]

Time crystal adjustments are necessary.

[LordMortis]

Though I think it should be "I vil mess vi'time"

[hepcat]

There's nothing more wholesome than monitoring your father's porn intake...unless it's monitoring your son's porn intake.

COMPROMISE ALERT: Speaker Mike Johnson uses software Covenant Eyes (learned about at a Promise Keepers retreat) that scans all his electronic devices & gives a weekly report an "accountability partner" his 17 yr old son (so basically don't watch porn or your son/dad will know)

[Smoove_B]

I'd love to know how he managed to get that software on anything issued by the federal government as part of his role as a Congressman.

[El Guapo]

I'd love to know how he managed to get that software on anything issued by the federal government as part of his role as a Congressman.

I assume that it's on his personal phone, not on a government-issued phone. Still a major potential kompromat source, of course, even if it's his personal phone, but it doesn't necessarily mean access to government records.

[Jaymon]

I have the assumption there is a big clause about the "in his name" potion of the bank account. Trust accounts, church accounts, shell company accounts. There are going to be accounts out there with his money, but they dont have "his name" on them.

[GreenGoo]

Well duh. I mean, who can operate without access to electronic funds these days?

And yet he reports "zero accounts" and somehow we just accept that. Like it's not a GIANT RED FLAG about his finances.

[Octavious]

I love how Fox ran a story saying it makes him more likeable that he could be living paycheck to paycheck. Holy shit we know he makes a ton of money because they all do. Seriously f off.

[GreenGoo]

Even if he just makes "average" money, he's not being honest about his finances. Not being honest makes you dishonest, jackhole. You are not trustworthy because you lie about even the most basic thing.

"I'm a secret ninja god warrior. No one can know about my life, despite choosing to be a public figure".

I hate this bullcrap so very, very much.

[LordMortis]

I love how Fox ran a story saying it makes him more likeable that he could be living paycheck to paycheck. Holy shit we know he makes a ton of money because they all do. Seriously f off.

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL30064

Compensation
The compensation for most Senators, Representatives, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner
from Puerto Rico is $174,000.
The only exceptions include the Speaker of the House (salary of $223,500) and the President pro
tempore of the Senate and the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate (salary of
$193,400).1

To say nothing of of other compensation, lobbying and campaigning spend, and what they actually out of pocket for... anything...

https://www.axios.com/2017/12/15/the-pe ... 1513307200

The perks:

Members get annual allowances (averaging $1.27 million in the House and $3.3 million in the Senate) to staff and manage their offices almost entirely as they see fit, as well as for travel and other expenses.
The House has averaged 138 legislative days each year since 2001, and the Senate 162. The job requires long days, and members are often active in their districts when not in session, but how many jobs give their employees over 6 months to plan and schedule entirely as they see fit?
While members of Congress are required to purchase insurance via an Affordable Care Act exchange, they receive a federal subsidy amounting to 72% of their premiums, per Snopes. (Democrats say it's a stand-in for the employer contribution most workers get.) They're also potentially eligible for lifetime health insurance under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program upon retirement.
Depending on age and length of service, members can receive a lifelong pension of 80% — which, given today's congressional salary of $174,000, equals out to $139,200 in annual taxpayer-funded retirement benefits, per Investopedia.
Upon the death of a member of Congress in office, their family will receive a payout equal to a year's salary ($174,000), per Congressional Institute. The one-time death gratuity for families of military personnel killed in action is $100,000.

Members of Congress have access to free, reserved parking spots at DC-area airports, a dedicated congressional call desk with major airlines and the ability to reserve seats on multiple flights but only pay for the flight boarded.
Our nation's legislators get a slew of lifetime benefits even after leaving office, including a taxpayer-funded gym at the Capitol, access to the House and Senate floors, parking in House lots, and the ability to dine in the House and Senate dining rooms, per The Washington Post.

[El Guapo]

I love how Fox ran a story saying it makes him more likeable that he could be living paycheck to paycheck. Holy shit we know he makes a ton of money because they all do. Seriously f off.

I love the "could be" part.

[Octavious]

They are so fucking dumb that they probably believe it. I seriously just can't stand the conversations I overhear. How worried they are about WOKE nonsense etc. Ya that's our biggest freaking problem.

[Carpet_pissr]

They are so fucking dumb that they probably believe it. I seriously just can't stand the conversations I overhear. How worried they are about WOKE nonsense etc. Ya that's our biggest freaking problem.

Woke about porn!