A few months before the 2022 midterm elections, The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent noted that if Republicans reclaimed the House majority, GOP leaders hoped to reinstate the so-called “Holman Rule.” He explained at the time, “This obscure rule — which Republicans revived last time they held the majority, until the Democratic majority ended it — would allow Republicans to use spending bills to try to slash the salary of specific federal officials.”
Republicans never lost sight of the priority, and on the first full day of the current Congress, House GOP members approved a rules package that did, in fact, empower members to go after individual officials’ salaries.
The result is a strange hobby for the far-right House majority. Politico reported on some of the more audacious examples.
House lawmakers defeated an effort by Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) to defund the office of Vice President Kamala Harris, one of the highest-level efforts yet to defund prominent federal officials and agencies.
Note, the measure to go after the vice president’s salary fell short, but 106 House Republicans — 48% of the GOP conference — voted for the effort.
It was, to be sure, a foolish endeavor, but it wasn’t an isolated incident. In fact, those who don’t follow Congress closely might not realize just how frequently House Republicans pull stunts like these.
In late September, for example, the GOP majority went after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s salary. Soon after, Republicans thought it’d be a good idea to go after Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s salary, too.
Republicans have gone after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s salary. And Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s salary. And EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s salary. And Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning’s salary. And Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler’s salary.
In a few hours, the House’s GOP majority will take up a measure to go after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s salary, too. Just so we’re all clear, none of these efforts will become law. Proponents are well aware of this. But a striking number of Republican lawmakers apparently find the measures entertaining, which means the public should expect to see quite a few more votes like these — at least until there’s a Democratic majority in the chamber again. GOP members have already earned a reputation for unseriousness. Some are going out of their way to prove their critics right.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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