Caucusing last night for conservatives, House Freedom Caucus members on Tuesday morning gave Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a 47-page list of demands in exchange for ending the fight over whether government funding would continue through fiscal year 2019, which ends September 30. The list of demands, which was obtained by The Washington Post, contains many items like the one on House Majority Whip Steve Scalise’s address at the Freedom Caucus meeting Monday night — the introduction of two bills that would repeal Obamacare, propose long-term tax reform, and defund Planned Parenthood. The vast majority of requests are in line with what President Trump campaigned on.
Among those demands — especially if Obamacare gets repealed as Republicans call for — are a requirement that Vice President Biden apologize for calling for a government shutdown over a vaccine mandate, or a move to nullify federal funds for Planned Parenthood. “The Freedom Caucus believes the simple fact that the VP made the request must be recognized by the administration and that their statements must not be included in official correspondence,” the letter reads.
Democracy in action. The Democrats won’t let the Republicans pass good legislation because they don’t want Trump to succeed. We will keep talking and fighting and hopefully we will get a great bill eventually! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2018
At the meeting, Scalise said that Congressional Republicans need to eliminate all vestiges of the Affordable Care Act, reported Politico. “They want to abolish Obamacare,” he said. “They’re talking about repealing it this year, with the hopes of having a replacement bill ready by the time Congress returns next year.”
A spokeswoman for Vice President Biden told Politico: “Anyone who’s paying attention knows he never called for a government shutdown.”
The full list of demands released Tuesday by The Washington Post:
1. Repeal of the ACA (Obamacare)
2. Release of the White House Munitions List(the list of armaments which the Defense Department has listed, and which the president intends to include in the 2019 budget)
3. Defund Planned Parenthood
4. Confirmation of two new nominees – Marc Short (director of legislative affairs), and Richard Mulvaney (Director of the Office of Management and Budget) – who do not accept that the President is going to implement the law or funding. (But these are the nominees, so their statements will have to be considered as to whether they are committed to the fulfillment of the full requirements.)
5. Confirmation of all five Executive Branch nominees to the Federal Reserve Board, John Quarles (Chair), Randal Quarles (Vice Chair), Jerome Powell (Vice Chair), Philip Lowe (Chair), and Sarah Bloom Raskin (Governor), which includes rescinding Obama appointees who have provided comments or left messages to the Office of Congressional Compliance that have provided insufficient compliance. This does not include recusing from cases where Congress has accused a Federal Reserve nominee of corruption.
6. A plan to attract GOP votes to a stand-alone tax reform bill by starting the legislative process with short-term Continuing Appropriations Agreements (CRs) for the rest of fiscal year 2018, which they call “breakthrough CRs.” The plan will require votes by the House and Senate on the majority of their bills through the end of FY 2018, thus improving prospects for passage of a final measure that can be signed into law by the President.
7. Redetermination of Congressional Review Act (CRA) Rules to require the House to pass two consecutive Omnibus Spending Measures (COSM) in Fiscal Year 2018 (or possibly through the end of FY 2018), which they call “core budget bills.” These measures will require passage by the majority of the House.
8. Compilation of tax revenue, repatriation and tariffs/tariffs on all countries in Asia that Trump wants to include in the 2019/2020 OMB budget.
9. Congressional Amendment of the REINS Act to require Congress’ approval of all domestic spending actions and amendments.
10. Medicare enrollee deduction reimbursements; Annual Screening and Maintaining Screenings; Screening of domestic border crossings; Domestic program transparency; Encourage combatant command leaders to collaborate in educating veterans.
You can read the entire letter, which is not long, here.
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