I like @RepThomasMassie and I have always respected him. Spent an hour and half with him at his request just last month in his office. But he is endemic of a particular type of congressman that has caused our complete failure for decades. 1/x

Thomas doesn't bear the weight of responsibility for history. He is a vote no-be content congressman who when given actual power to govern for the first time (due to the courage of others BTW) caved, fell for cosmetic versions of his own proposal & attacked his allies. 2/x

The Rules committee really came down to him. How do you set it up better? Thomas Massie, of all people, had the ability to send this deal back to the negotiating table & he flailed. That is how you judge someone. What do they do with the power given to them and them alone? 3/x

Should have cut more but there were always competing interests. One of the reasons we were unsuccessful is members fooling around with dumb ideas like Massie's automatic CR. Members always want to build a better procedural mouse trap "to play chess”. It never works. 5/x

Take the 2019 shutdown. Defense appropriations was enacted so we didn't have the defense hawks breathing down our necks to cut a deal... 6/x

Under Massie's fake CR (and he knows its fake bc he stopped calling it a CR), the threat of a 1% haircut to defense would have put overwhelming pressure on the president to end the shutdown immediately bc if any account is on a CR they all get cut. Not all inventions work! 7/x

Now take his view that the debt limit isn't really the main event & appropriations is the real battle. What a beauty that is! 8/x

Never mind that the deal sets the caps for the appropriations process & that his own proposal takes away leverage to win a shutdown fight (a fight that never gets picked post caps being set). Let's just talk about the interplay with the Rules Committee... 9/x

Thomas said yesterday that he doesn't believe the Rules committee members should substitute their own ideology when setting up the procedures. Well I wish Leadership took that view! 10/x

They clearly don't and set up every rule on the basis of their cartel interests. And there is no principle or "regular order" interest that says the Rules Committee should be controlled by Leadership. 11/x

So what happens when Leadership jams the members with Ukraine funding or another $1.7 trillion bill. Thomas Massie's view of policy neutrality is to manage defeat with a scintilla of procedural fairness. 12/x

I'm sorry but such neutrality is not going to save the country. The hour is too late & we need statesmen who wear on their shoulders the full weight of responsibility for history, whether as Bonhoeffer said, we are the victors or the vanquished. 12/12

@russvought So it’s not your fault that there were no budget reforms or cuts when GOP had the presidency and comfortable majorities in both houses, but somehow the House GOP is supposed to do this with a razor thin majority in one chamber?

@russvought You are proud to have served under Trump? How embarrassing. 🤦‍♂️

@russvought Your guilt pours out word after copious word…

@russvought Lol “not gonna take the bait and hold myself to the standard I’m advocating for”

@russvought Waaaaaaaaaaah!!

@russvought Did the Trump admin ever pass debt ceiling increases? How about the CARES ACT?

@russvought Bull.