Hello, Friends —

Last week, with a government shutdown imminent, Congress passed a one-week “continuing resolution,” or CR, funding the government through December 18. President Trump signed the short-term, stopgap spending bill into law.

Congressional leadership said that the House would vote “as early as Tuesday” (December 15) on the next round of government funding — and, potentially, on another coronavirus relief bill.

On Monday, we learned that votes on Tuesday had been canceled.

On Wednesday, the House voted…but not on a government funding bill, and not on a coronavirus package.

The same thing happened Thursday.

Now, as of the time of writing this newsletter (around 6:00 pm on Friday), the House is voting on yet another short-term CR. This bill funds the government for only two days. The purported coronavirus relief bill has not yet been finalized. 

This is infuriating.

Although the two-day spending bill passed, I voted against it. Kicking the can down the road a few days at a time is no way to govern.

While the House was able to pass some far-reaching legislation this week, including a bill to enhance benefits for our nation’s veterans, I believe that we can walk and chew gum. We should be able pass good bills, fund the government for longer than two days, and pass a coronavirus relief bill on time. It’s not too much to ask.

Congressional leadership is collapsing under the weight of its monumental ineptitude. Instead of making an effort to meet its self-imposed deadlines, Congress has chosen to make excuses.

The pettiness and gimmickry must stop. It is inexcusable for House Democrat leadership to have blocked an extension of PPP over forty times (which even Newsweek, hardly a right-leaning publication, has fact-checked as “mostly true”).

Helping the American people must be our highest priority, rather than a zero-sum game. Congress must do better. 

I hope, in the spirit of Christmas, that we will.

ARE YOU LISTENING?

Listen to my podcast, “Hot Takes with Matt Gaetz,” for a behind-the-scenes look into the latest news. You won’t want to miss it!

GAETZ IN THE NEWS

The Washington Times — December 15, 2020

Rep. Matt Gaetz: Trump ‘well-served’ to pardon NSA leaker Edward Snowden

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, advocated Monday for President Trump to pardon wanted leaker Edward J. Snowden while pushing for what he predicted would upset the GOP establishment and others. Mr. Gaetz, a close ally of the president, called for him to pardon Mr. Snowden after the congressman recently clashed publicly with the chair of the House Republican Conference over the idea. “I think we are a better country because we know what Edward Snowden exposed to us,” he said on the latest episode of his podcast, “Hot Takes with Matt Gaetz.”

BizPac Review — December 17, 2020

Three issues can unite left and right populists against the Biden-Harris regime

Lee, the sole vote against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force in the House, would find natural allies in Republican Representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Gosar of Arizona, and two dozen others who voted to limit Trump’s war powers in 2019.

Florida Politics — December 15, 2020

As Democratic scandals search for oxygen, Matt Gaetz slams Eric Swalwell, Hunter Biden

Rep. Matt Gaetz takes aim at Democratic scandals, with an eye toward compromised figures of the opposition party as the “tip of the iceberg” of larger issues to come. Among them: what he framed Tuesday night as efforts to obscure the “spy scandal” of one Congressional colleague and the “explosive story” of the transnational business deal-making of the President-elect’s son.

The Hill — December 17, 2020

For NY Times, no news is fit to print about Rep. Swalwell and a spy

Swalwell himself has barely answered any questions on the matter because very few are inquiring about it. The CBS, NBC and ABC evening newscasts haven’t dedicated one second to the story, which undoubtedly would be a much different story if a young Republican lawmaker such as Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) or Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) were involved.

Glenn Greenwald — December 14, 2020

The Case For a Pardon of Edward Snowden by President Trump

Late last year, the FISA court itself “issued a strong and highly unusual public rebuke to the FBI” and, the prior year, “found that the FBI may have violated the rights of potentially millions of Americans — including its own agents and informants — by improperly searching through information obtained by the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance program.”

That is precisely the abuse Snowden acted to stop. And that is why the people and institutions across the political spectrum who have devoted themselves to protecting the right to privacy, safeguarding internet freedom and combating the abuses of the security state have advocated a pardon or clemency for Snowden: the ACLU, Sen. Rand Paul, The New York Times, Congressmen Matt Gaetz, Justin Amash, and Thomas Massie, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, internet pioneer Timothy Berners-Lee, Daniel Ellsberg, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, press freedom groups, and international human rights and civil liberties groups. They have all argued that Snowden deserves clemency or a pardon.

Fox News — December 12, 2020

Matt Gaetz: SCOTUS decision not to hear Texas election lawsuit is blow to the power of state legislatures

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said that the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear a Trump-backed Texas case that would overturn election results in four states, amounted to an “erosion of power” of state legislatures. “The true casualty of the court’s decision is an erosion of power of state legislatures to make election law. The principal challenge by Texas was that there were changes that were made not by the state legislatures that instead were made by other officials invested in that power.”

WHAT WE’RE READING

EPA — December 12, 2020

EPA Announces Historic Approval of Florida’s Request to Administer the Clean Water Act Section 404 Program

Northwest Florida Daily News — December 11, 2020

With 27% COVID-19 positivity rate, Eglin AFB returning to ‘mission essential’ posture

The Post Millennial — December 16, 2020

REVEALED: Seattle politician who defunded the police called 911 to protect her from a crime she wants to legalize

Newsmax — December 16, 2020

Congress Passes Extensive Veterans Bill

Daily Caller — December 16, 2020

Man Jet Skis Nearly Five Hours To Visit His Girlfriend Across Irish Sea, Jailed For Violating Coronavirus Rules

Bloomberg — December 16, 2020

Bitcoin Surpasses $21,000 for First Time Amid Dizzying Rally