Post # 231, Bob McKnight's Florida Commentary
16 Republicans like Senator Lindsey Graham got caught voting with Democrats, and Senator Josh Hawley could not find the fortitude to even vote. Bad day for the GOP.
They say if you watch some things long enough you will see almost everything. An exception might have the U.S. Senate with it's membership split evenly 50-50. With that tie vote, any deviation would be clearly seen and there would have to be a lot of explaining for someone breaking that tie. Well, it happened last week.
The U.S. Senate knows how important the computer chip industry is to our computers, transportation, military and therefore our future and millions of jobs. China has stolen some of our technology to cut into our chip manufacturing strength and Tiwain has been making most of the chips going into our computers, vehicles and phones during recent years. So Senators on both sides of the ailse could support providing funding to boost jobs, research and development of those high tech businesses in America. As of last week, 16 Republican Senators said they would support that funding lead by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY).
As so often happens in Washington, the Chip bill got merged with a massive funding for fighting Climate Change, a priority for President Biden and the Green Democrats. It was said, that merger would chase the 16 Republicans off the bill. But then the surprise, because one of the Democrats opposing the Climate Change funding was pro-coal Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, McConnell assurred the Republicans that he would still support the combined bills because he felt certain Manchin, of the coal producing state of West Virginia would never vote for it.
McConnell became more convinced that the Chip-Climate Change bill was dead when liberals added new funding to the bill for Obama Care, and then to top it off, passed taxes on the wealthy. McConnell had served a long time with Manchin and said he knew him well.
Well, maybe not well enough. Last week in secret, Manchin met with Democrat Majority Leader Chuck Shumer (NY) to agree to big changes Manchin wanted for West Virginia's coal industry that would mitigate the loss from Climate Change, if passed. Estimates were that West Virginia would actually benefit more from the new bill, with the secret deal Manachin cut with Shumer, and with Biden's support. Manchin was careful to say that his position on the bill could change, and since he had not yet voted, his vote to break the log jam sent reverberations through the Capitol. Manchin said on the Sunday Talk Shows that the bill was now critical with inflation so high. The 16 Republican Senators voting with the Democrats included McConnel, Blunt, Cassidy Cornyn, Portman, Sasse, Tillis, and Wicker, all known for attacking the Democrats for "big spending." Even former Senator John McCain friend, now bestie with President Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham got snookered on this one. One other notable who claims to be a real man, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri didn't even have the guts to vote. The 16 Republicans voted for "Green" Climate Changes and Funding, Funding for massive expansion of Chip Technology in America, new funding and support for Obama Care, and tax increases on the wealthy to pay down the budget deficit (that Trump passed in a previous term. This is a liberal vote that will ride with the 16 Senators for ever. If this finally passes, this will give Biden his signature issue upon which to run for re-election in 2024.
It is true, if you wait long enough almost everything will come true at some point, especially in politics.
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