Blog

Thursday Takes

Quick Takes: Thursday Takes

House Passes Amended Budget Resolution

The House narrowly passed the Senate-amended budget resolution for fiscal year 2025 on April 9, 2025, by a vote of 216-214. This resolution sets the stage for a reconciliation process, allowing Republicans to advance major tax and spending legislation with a simple majority, bypassing the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster. It includes provisions for extending tax cuts, increasing border security and defense spending, and implementing federal spending reductions. The passage faced resistance, with two Republicans voting against it, reflecting internal party tensions. This step moves Congress closer to drafting a reconciliation bill to enact President Trump’s agenda, though significant negotiations remain.

SAVE Act Passes the House

The SAVE Act passed the House on a largely party line vote, but it did draw the support of four Democrats.  The bill requires REAL ID Act compliant license or ID to vote. All 50 states and the 5 territories comply with the REAL ID Act. The REAL ID act requires proof of US Citizenship. And there you have it. Dems think you’re stupid.

If you have a REAL ID Act compliant driver’s license or identification, you can use it to vote. The REAL ID Act requires documentary proof of US Citizenship to get a license or ID:

  • Proof of identity – To prove your identity, you can bring a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, or Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) if you are a non-U.S. citizen.

  • Proof of a Social Security number – You can provide your Social Security card, Form W-2, which shows your earnings for tax purposes, or a pay stub or paycheck from your job.

  • Proof of residency – Your state department of motor vehicles may ask you for a deed, mortgage statement, lease agreement, utility bill, or bank statement to prove you are a state resident.

Democrats are lying about this because they want *checks notes* non citizens to vote in Federal elections. All 50 states and all five US territories now comply with the REAL ID Act.

Dems think you’re stupid. Don’t allow them that. Just read the bill:

“(b) Documentary proof of United States citizenship.-As used in this Act, the term ‘documentary proof of United States citizenship’ means, with respect to an applicant for voter registration, any of the following:

“(1) A form of identification issued consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States.

NORRA Passes the House

Rep. Darrell Issa’s No Rogue Rulings Act has passed the House and will be sent to the Senate where it will be combined with Sen. Mike Lee’s Restraining Judicial Insurrection Act.  Congress has plenary power over all courts lower than the Supreme Court from Circuit Judges all the way to magistrates.

Prop Babies

There’s no need to violate the Constitution’s requirement that a Member of Congress be present when Congressmoms can bring their babies to the Floor to use as props.  They have demonstrated that accommodations can be made and their proxy voting bill is not only unconstitutional, it’s unnecessary.

DOGE Fraud Finds

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) uncovered significant fraud in unemployment insurance claims since 2020, with millions paid to fake claimants.  Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is collaborating with inspectors general to recover these funds for the Treasury.

This dovetails with the finds on non-citizens getting issued Social Security Numbers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it also lines up with very young and impossibly old receiving benefits.  No word no whether Methuselah was still receiving his checks.

Yet again, this is an issue that Democrats have chosen to demagogue and lie about rather than working in a bipartisan way to ensure that the fraud doesn’t continue to drain benefits and consume resources causing seniors who paid into the system their whole lives to have delayed or missed payments.

This discovery highlights a systemic failure in verifying claimant identities, allowing fraudulent claims to siphon off resources meant for legitimate beneficiaries. Critics argue that this issue has been exacerbated by partisan inaction, with Democrats accused of downplaying or misrepresenting the problem rather than collaborating on bipartisan solutions to curb the fraud.

Such mismanagement risks delaying or denying payments to seniors and others who have paid into the system their entire lives, straining resources and undermining trust in public institutions. Labor Secretary DeRemer has pledged to work with inspectors general to recover these misallocated funds and return them to the Treasury, though the scale of the fraud underscores the urgent need for stronger oversight and reform.

 

And until tomorrow… that’s a wrap!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like this post? Become a Citizen Producer!

James K. Bishop

James K. Bishop is a conservative writer and raconteur hailing from Texas, known for his incisive and often provocative takes on political and cultural issues. With a staunch commitment to originalist constitutional principles, he emphasizes limited government, individual liberties, and traditional American values. Active on X under the handle @James_K_Bishop, he frequently engages his audience with sharp critiques of progressive policies, media narratives, and overreaches by the federal government. His style is direct, often laced with humor and wit, which resonates strongly with his conservative followers.