House Republicans have their first leadership test. They need to block a Lame Duck debt limit hike and promise an epic fight for 2023 to impose spending controls as a condition of any debt limit increase.
Are they going to rise to the challenge to fight the D.C. Swamp or go along with it. If Republicans try to placate conservative voters with an investigation of Hunter Biden, as much fun as that would be, in lieu of cutting spending, then they have learned nothing. Many Republicans take conservatives for granted and think they can give voters a virtual head pat with some fun investigations while failing to engage in the real fights that will make America better.
Reports indicate that Republicans are putting up some early resistance to hiking the debt limit, yet we have seen this ‘Failure Theater’ play before where Republicans put up a make-believe fight then cave at the last minute. The Hill reported on November 17, 2022, “a Democratic-led push for a bipartisan fix to the nation’s debt ceiling during the lame duck session getting a chilly reception from Senate Republicans.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wants to get a debt limit hike done before the end of the year to avoid putting any conditions on the federal government bottomless credit card. The Hill further reported that “while some Senate GOP leaders haven’t ruled out a compromise with Democrats to address the debt limit during the lame-duck session, they’ve also expressed some skepticism about the prospects of a deal.” Democrats are worried about a “showdown” next year when Republicans will have the power to, at a minimum, impose some reforms on spending.