Baking Bread. . .

(Baking Bread. . .)

Under certain circumstances, the phrase is "breaking" bread to indicate an accommodation of some sort. That is what Speaker McCarthy and President Biden secured with the recent debt ceiling talks. The real test, however, was going to be whether the Legislation would pass Congress. And, as one thought they would, the more "conservative" members of the GOP Conference, Freedom Caucus and so on, Republican members of the Rules' Committee, have stated opposition to the Bill's passage out of the House.

There is the saying how half a loaf of bread is better than no bread at all. That would depend on the bread. The question that Republicans need to ask themselves is what they are willing to assent in order to secure the only debt negotiation in play, Does the deal attain the entire ambition of the Conference ? Obviously not but some would say it can be a positive step.

Or, it could be a disaster. It is easy to back something if it at least gives the appearance of actually cutting spending but if all that are being employed are accounting gimmicks, moving numbers from one column to another to give the impression of reductions, then members in opposition might have a point. What is clear, however, is that failure to pass the Bill out of Rules Committee and then off the House Floor, the initiative will then pass back to the President.

It would be best if the temporary pain is endured in the short term. A lot of people hate broccoli but when it is made au gratin ? An improvement ? That being said, what might be voted out of the House today, Speaker Mcarthy has indicated the requisite "Yeas" are present, to advance to the Senate. Where they stand remains to be seen.

It has been noted by some that this Bill, pass or fail, is only step one. The real arguments will be waged in the Appropriations Committee and how twelve bills that fund the government, department by department, will be negotiated. In other words, what might not be included in this legislation can conceivably be compensated further in the Fiscal Year.

None of that will happen, however, unless Kevin McCarthy can bring things across the finish line.