Staring down a fast-approaching government shutdown that threatens to disrupt life for millions of Americans, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has turned to a strategy that so far has preserved his tenuous hold on House leadership but also marked it by chaos: giving hard-right lawmakers what they want.
In his eight months running the House, McCarthy has lived by the upbeat personal mantra of “never give up” as he dodges threats to his speakership and tries to portray Republicans as capable stewards of the U.S. government. He has long chided Washington for underestimating him.
But with the House GOP majority in turmoil, all but certain to hurl the country into a shutdown, McCarthy has set aside the more traditional tools of the gavel to keep rebels in line. Instead, he has acceded to a small band led by those instigating his ouster, even if that means closing federal offices.
I’m not. It’s for such stupid reasons and it has real consequences for the regular folk that get their paychecks from the government.
I get my paycheck from the government lmao. My whole office is hoping it happens because you know how it usually goes? We come in, sign some paperwork about the shutdown, lay around at home until it resolves, and then they just backpay for the shutdown time. Free vacation basically.