You Have to Show Up
What to know: A federal judge has ruled that Congress passed its 2023 omnibus spending bill improperly, with proxy votes—because there wasn’t a quorum present.
The TPPF take: TPPF attorneys argued this case in January.
“This meticulous, 120-page opinion was written after a full trial on the merits,” said TPPF’s Matt Miller. “The Court correctly concluded that the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 violated the Quorum Clause of the U.S. Constitution because a majority of House members was not physically present when the $1.7 trillion spending bill was passed. Proxy voting is unconstitutional.”
For more on the ruling, click here.
Rematch
What to know: Even before Super Tuesday, the presidential primaries are over, writes Rex Huppke for USA Today. It’s a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The TPPF take: Progressives are working hard on Plan B to keep President Biden off the ballot. They’re now talking about a brokered convention.
“Brokered conventions have occurred before,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “Democratic presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt won the White House after a brokered convention in 1932; on the Republican side, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower won the presidency following a brokered convention in 1952. So it’s a possibility — and one the progressive wing is eyeing more and more.”
For more on a brokered convention, click here.
It’s Not Complicated
What to know: Financial magazine Fortune just can’t seem to figure out why Texas lawmakers who opposed a “universal basic income” scheme for some Harris County residents supported a tax cut for the whole state.
The TPPF take: Government exists to secure the blessings of life, liberty, and property—not to give away Other People’s Money.
“Guaranteed income programs violate the public trust and commonsense. They corrode society’s productivity, foster a culture of dependency, and are very likely unconstitutional,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Texas counties should avoid creating these programs and get back to providing the basics.”
For more on UBI, click here.