Speaker of the House Mike Johnson surrendered to the Democratic Party’s gratuitous spending demands on late Friday night, and by doing so, the Republican Party forfeited any leverage to press for reforms, such as border enforcement and fiscal discipline.
The Senate GOP’s passage of a $1.2 trillion omnibus spending package — larger than any such spending bill passed under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer — was driven by the election-year desire to avoid a government “shutdown.”
However, the U.S. government “shutdown” came and went at midnight, with little fanfare or immediate consequences for the nation. In the early morning hours on Saturday, the omnibus spending bill was finally passed and implemented to the relief of the political class.
Hours after the passage of the spending bill, there was a disturbing announcement made that captured the attention of the American people, including Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie.
What the hell is this evil?
A Federal Red Flag center;
We did not authorize this.
Announced, of course, just hours after the omnibus passes. https://t.co/IkuK0aTeV8— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 23, 2024
“What the hell is this evil?” the Congressman reacted. “A Federal Red Flag center; We did not authorize this. Announced, of course, just hours after the omnibus passes.”
This “federal red flag center,” being called the “National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center,” was announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland on Saturday morning.
The DOJ’s description of this red flag center is as follows:
The Justice Department launched the National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center (the Center) which will provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement officials, prosecutors, attorneys, judges, clinicians, victim service and social service providers, community organizations, and behavioral health professionals responsible for implementing laws designed to keep guns out of the hands of people who pose a threat to themselves or others.
“The launch of the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center will provide our partners across the country with valuable resources to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The establishment of the Center is the latest example of the Justice Department’s work to use every tool provided by the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to protect communities from gun violence.”
“ERPO laws, which are modeled off domestic violence protection orders, create a civil process allowing law enforcement, family members (in most states), and medical professionals or other groups (in some states) to petition a court to temporarily prohibit someone at risk of harming themselves or others from purchasing and possessing firearms for the duration of the order,” the DOJ added.
The federal red flag center announcement provoked the ire of a number of conservative commentators.
On the New York ERPO form, just the fact that someone recently purchased a firearm could be considered a “red flag”https://t.co/W2h7DpxHVi pic.twitter.com/CyjqBHUl5o
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) March 23, 2024
“On the New York ERPO form, just the fact that someone recently purchased a firearm could be considered a ‘red flag’,” Chief Nerd noted.
Today Kamala Harris is visiting the high school where the Parkland mass shooting took place.
Christopher Wray visited Parkland yesterday.
Now the DOJ is announcing a Federal Red Flag center.
Pay attention, folks. https://t.co/DyA71TQDl8 pic.twitter.com/sQLSMQwGvq
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) March 23, 2024
“Today Kamala Harris is visiting the high school where the Parkland mass shooting took place,” podcast host Breanna Morello said. “Christopher Wray visited Parkland yesterday. Now the DOJ is announcing a Federal Red Flag center. Pay attention, folks.”
Republicans voted to fund Biden’s agenda and a due-process destroying “red flag center.” As of now, I do not believe that the GOP wants to win in November. I’m not exaggerating — these are not the actions of a party interested in fighting or winning.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 23, 2024
“Republicans voted to fund Biden’s agenda and a due-process destroying ‘red flag center’,” said radio host and gun rights activist Dana Loesch. “As of now, I do not believe that the GOP wants to win in November. I’m not exaggerating — these are not the actions of a party interested in fighting or winning.”
A major issue with the manner the House of Representatives rammed through the Omnibus Spending Package is that Speaker Johnson did not give members of Congress enough time to read the bill and understand what is in it — a basic duty of representatives.
The minibus was released at 2:32 am and is 1,012 pages of $1.2 trillion taxpayer dollars.
And we are supposed to be voting on it tomorrow morning under suspension with no amendments allowed with the super scary government shutdown deadline threat looming tomorrow at midnight.… pic.twitter.com/e6ehBiznRw
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) March 21, 2024
“It takes 27.8 hours for the average reader to read 1,000 pages,” noted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). “I guess we are supposed to just pass it first and then find out what’s in it like Nancy Pelosi says.”
“This comes after months and months of hardly any effort to pass single issue appropriation bills while 3 Continuing Resolutions (continuing Pelosi’s budget) were passed,” she continued. “Our Republican majority started this Congress with sweeping rule changes to stop this very behavior yet here we are on the verge of passing a second minibus under suspension with no amendments allowed and violating the 72 hour rule.”
On Friday, Rep. Greene issued a motion to vacate the chair of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) due to the imminent passage of the spending bill.
MTG Explains Why She is Moving to ‘Vacate the Chair’ and Replace Speaker Mike Johnson
“This is a betrayal of the American people. This is a betrayal of Republican voters and the bill that we were forced to vote on — forced Republicans to choose between funding to pay our… pic.twitter.com/onv0I1vfya
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) March 22, 2024
“This is a betrayal of the American people. This is a betrayal of Republican voters and the bill that we were forced to vote on — forced Republicans to choose between funding to pay our soldiers, and in doing so, funding late-term abortion,” she said at a press gaggle.
“This bill was basically a dream and a wishlist for Democrats and for the White House,” she continued. “It was completely led by Chuck Schumer, not our Republican Speaker of the House, not our conference, and we weren’t even allowed to put amendments to the floor to have a chance to make changes to the bill.”
House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-VA) also railed against the impending passage of the spending bill.
The House Freedom Chair just LIT UP Republican leaders on the #Omnibetrayal Spending Bill.?
“Is there anything that some Republicans won’t do to keep this government open?”
“Why are we in a rush to keep this government open that is so harming the American people by the very… pic.twitter.com/QxksPH3xVV
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) March 22, 2024
“Is there anything that some Republicans won’t do to keep this government open?” he asked rhetorically. “Why are we in a rush to keep this government open that is so harming the American people by the very policies which they are suffering under?”
“It does seem, this bill again maintains the Pelosi-Schumer policies and spending levels by about $60 billion that were in place from the omnibus that we all voted against a year and a half ago,” he added.
The United States government is attacking First Amendment rights, as has been proven by the evidence submitted in the Supreme Court case Missouri v. Biden.
Now, it is attacking the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms, which is a last resort to prevent a tyrannical government from taking over the country.
This is a concerning development that all Americans need to pay attention to. If we are to have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, there must be freedom of speech and the right of citizens to defend themselves from criminals and tyrants.
