The House returned from a long August recess for just one week before leaving again for Labor Day. They scheduled several votes, including bills to keep the government open, a Constitutional amendment to set the number of Supreme Court justices at nine, and the condemnation of socialism. Each vote presented its own set of challenges, but in the end, the votes will give the American people insight into where their Representatives stand and if they are worthy of reelection in November.
This year, Republicans decided to pass a continuing resolution (CR) early to keep the government funded through December and avoid an election-year government shutdown. A “clean” CR that simply continues the last appropriated funding level is a typical course of action during an election year. This allows members to avoid debating and voting for controversial policies that they may have to answer for on the campaign trail. The House passed a clean CR at the end of July in hopes that the Senate would do the same.
However, as we reported several weeks ago, the Senate CR was not “clean.” It included a provision to delay the implementation of restrictions on delta-8 THC harvested from hemp. The delay in these restrictions caused an unexpected- but good- stir in the Senate, which significantly slowed down the progress of the CR. Eagle Forum, and many other like-minded organizations made calls, sent emails and score letters, and rallied the grassroots to do the same. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) led the charge to try to strip out this delay. He gained a lot of support initially, but pressure from the White House and the intoxicating hemp industry caused some to cave. The delay remained in the CR, and the bill passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 90-6. We published all the details here.
As soon as the Senate passed the CR, we sent multiple score letters to House members and spoke with leadership on our opposition to delaying “gas station weed,” as Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) calls it. Unfortunately, the House still passed the CR — with the hemp delay intact — by a vote of 370-48. Only 19 Republicans voted against it, even though several expressed their disagreement with the hemp language. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), clearly angry with the delay, posted on X that the GOP “bowed down to big hemp.” Eagle Forum shares that frustration. The Senate handed the House a terrible dilemma. If Congress did not keep the government open, their chances of holding the majority would decrease, and Democrats could retake the majority in the House. A Democrat majority would surely legalize recreational marijuana and THC in all forms. However, in the meantime, these dangerous products are available to harm children for at least another month.
The delay is meant to allow the pro-hemp faction time to come up with a “framework” for regulating intoxicating delta-8 THC. The cannabis industry is supportive of this, which can only tell us one thing: this framework is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. As Eagle Forum President Kris Ullman penned in the Washington Examiner:
Supporters of the delay claim they need more time to create a regulatory “framework” for different hemp products. This argument deserves serious skepticism. The intoxicating hemp industry is not seeking more time out of a sudden passion for sensible regulation — its business model depends on the very loophole Congress voted to close…
When an industry is making billions by exploiting a loophole that puts children at risk, the answer should not be “give them one more month.”
The answer should be — the loophole is closed.
After the passage of the CR, the House considered a resolution that takes a firm stand against socialism. H.Res. 1490 is a timely measure that “condemns and denounces socialism in all its forms,” including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. Dangerous DSA policies such as abolishing the U.S. Senate, implementing ranked-choice voting, and replacing the two-party system are highlighted in the resolution. Additionally, it promotes safe and fair elections by encouraging the passage of the SAVE America Act (H.R. 7296) requiring identification and proof of U.S. citizenship to vote.
This vote coincides with Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) “Contrast for America” campaign against socialism. To address what seems to be an education gap regarding the perils of socialism and communism, the Speaker has created a website that outlines the history of these ideologies, the problematic policies they promote, and the candidates who are espousing these beliefs. In the last two years, Republicans have pushed for policies such as tax cuts, border security, secure elections, and safe schools, while the DSA has advocated for tax hikes, open borders, illegal aliens on voter rolls, packing the Supreme Court, and indoctrination of children.
The vote on this resolution was illustrative of just how far left the Democrat party has become. It passed by a vote of 220-192 with only eight Democrats voting in favor and two voting present.
In an attempt to counter the numerous calls for Court-packing by the Democrats, Leadership called up H.J. Res. 1, also known as the “Keep 9 Amendment,” for a vote. This Constitutional amendment simply sets the number of Supreme Court justices at nine. For over 150 years, nine justices have allowed for intimate yet robust debates, while the odd number allows most decisions to be decided by a majority, one way or the other. Also, capping the number prevents the politicization of the Court. Democrats have messaged on “packing the Court” to get rid of the originalist majority that now exists. Adding additional progressive justices is their solution to decisions that go against their radical ideology. But the Supreme Court was never meant to make decisions based on political whims.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said the quiet part out loud on the House floor this week. In his speech opposing the Keep 9 Amendment, he said that politicians should focus instead on abolishing the Electoral College and enacting the Equal Rights Amendment if they are going to offer Constitutional amendments. These are high-priority goals for the Democrat Party once they gain a majority in the House and Senate again. If they can pack the Court, they will confirm justices who will rubber-stamp these initiatives.
The Keep 9 Amendment unfortunately failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed. The vote was 212-206, with only one Democrat voting in favor.
Clearly, the midterm elections in November are extremely important if we want to see more conservative, pro-American policies. A Democrat majority in the House and/or Senate would open the door to socialism and undo the principles laid out by our Founding Fathers. Believe the Left when they say they want to defund our national defense, teach sex education to five-year-olds, abandon Israel, abolish prisons, and decriminalize prostitution for transgender people. Educating the American people on these dangers and electing true conservative candidates are the only ways to prevent these policies from succeeding. Eagle Forum PAC is supporting principled conservative candidates for Congress. For a list of our endorsements, visit our website here.
At this year’s Eagle Council 54, speaker and economist Daniel Di Martino will be addressing the topic of socialism. As a Venezuelan who grew up in a socialist country, he personally experienced the suffering that comes along with these types of policies. He will explain why free enterprise is worth protecting and offer ways to prevent socialism from spreading. Join us in Nashville, Tennessee, from September 24-26 to hear Daniel Di Martino speak, as well as other experts addressing the most pressing topics. To learn more, visit our website here.
