While many in Washington were horrified at the thought of President Trump suggesting a federal government shutdown in September over funding for a border wall and immigration reform, those of us in the heartland can see the logic behind the move.
If there is a chance of a Democratic blue wave in November that would allow them to take control of the House, doesn’t it make sense to get funding for the wall before the election? Why would we or the president risk never getting a border wall that we all know is necessary to control the problem of illegal immigration?
After all, building a border wall and reforming our corrupt immigration laws is what Trump and nearly every Republican in the House and Senate ran on in 2016 and what they are running on again in 2018. If they want Trump voters to turn out in November to re-elect them, they need to deliver on this foundational promise before the election.
The problem is that influential establishment Republicans, led by Speaker Paul Ryan, are paying lip service to the cause because they really want open borders and economical labor. They will almost certainly fail to act on these issues, leading to President Trump being blamed for the shutdown and causing disillusioned conservative voters to stay home due to the ineptitude of the Republican Congress—literally creating the “blue wave” they fear so much!
Blocked by their own “leadership,” members of Congress have no choice but to take action to save themselves and their majority: They must force a change of Speaker before any spending bill comes before the House for a vote. This could be accomplished by issuing a motion to vacate the position immediately after Congress returns from its August recess, forcing a recent vote for a Speaker who supports Trump’s agenda and is willing to fight for it. Of the names currently being floated, that Speaker could only be Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
We recognize that this is a bold move, and we do not suggest that the White House or Congressman Jordan support our position. However, we believe that Congress has little choice if it wants to save itself.
Trump will have every reason to support and fight for a true conservative like Jordan to become Speaker of the House because he needs Jordan to implement the people’s agenda and keep the pressure on the Senate — not just in September’s border wall budget fight, but for the next six years.
With the House speakership election coming up in September, Republican members of Congress up for reelection could apply the intense pressure from voters in their districts as a reason to follow the president’s example and support Jordan — and save themselves.
Electing a key voice like Jordan as Speaker could prevent the much-feared shutdown by passing a budget bill that includes full funding for the border wall and at least some steps toward immigration reform, putting pressure on the Senate to pass the bill by a elementary majority! That’s how you build a levee to stop the blue tide!
And if Republican voters get involved in the race for Speaker and the border wall in September, why don’t they turn out enthusiastically and vote en masse in November to defeat Democratic senators in Republican states, hold the House of Representatives, make sure Jordan becomes Majority Leader, and ensure that Trump’s agenda, their agenda, gets implemented with less disruption over the next two years and beyond?
Republicans will not only retain their positions and power, but they will create a wave of hatred not seen since Ronald Reagan’s second term.
Alternatively, Republican lawmakers can simply shrug and be led into defeat. Or they can pray that a presidential veto, a move that would boost Trump’s ratings among his base while revealing Congress’s total failure to voters, will save their congressional seats, and then watch their despondent voting bloc stay home in November.
The choice is theirs, but it is time for them to act in their own best interests before they drown, and with them our entire country, in the socialist transition.
