House Sit-In Created Bad Optics For House GOP

The optics last night for Paul Ryan and House Republicans were pretty terrible. Thankfully for them, they made sure it all happened in the middle of the night but there were still plenty of cameras rolling even at that hour.

After Democrats began their sit-in to force a gun control vote, Paul Ryan adjourned the House and then petulantly had C-Span turn off their cameras so as not to show the Democratic revolt.  With all the technology available today, that kind of censorship move never works and soon the Dems were live-streaming on Periscope.

Then, at 10pm, Ryan gaveled the House back into order so that a vote to overturn the new Labor Department rule that investment advisers must act in the best interests of the client. Previously, those advisers could recommend investment products that actually made more money for the advisor as long as they were “similar” to the most appropriate product. Of course, that may have meant that the client made less money because of a higher fee structure. So, Ryan and the Republicans chose exactly the moment when the focus was on gun control to actually vote on what is essentially a gift to Wall Street – not the best optics, I would say.

Later in the evening, around 3am, the House also passed a bill authorizing over $600 million in funding to combat the Zika virus. This was one-third of the amount that the White House had requested and a little more than half of what the Senate has already authorized. It allocates no new funds but takes existing funds from the fight against the Ebola virus and from some Obamacare funds as well. And, because it’s Republicans, the bill blocks any of the funds in the measure from going to Planned Parenthood for birth control services for women at risk of becoming infected with the virus. Of course, we are already at the end of July, so none of this money is going to do anything to deal with the spread of the virus this summer, but I guess the Republicans don’t feel any sense of urgency on that count. Senate Democrats are already threatening to veto a compromise bill between the House and Senate and the White House has issued a veto threat as well.  Having done their damage, Ryan adjourned the House until after the July 4th holiday.

All in all, a pretty horrendous night politically for House Republicans. And there is no doubt that Democrats will keep the pressure on regarding gun control.