Rep. Thomas Massie Should Stop Grandstanding and Focus on Governance — or Step Aside
Rep. Thomas Massie often embraces the role of a purist, yet curiously, this Kentucky Republican consistently casts his votes alongside the Democrats when critical decisions arise.
His most recent stance is a commitment to vote “nay” on a continuing resolution intended to prevent a government shutdown. This resolution successfully passed through the House Rules Committee this week and garnered support from the Freedom Caucus due to its noticeably fiscal conservatism.
While it may not be flawless, governance often requires acknowledging victories and negotiating compromises.
For Massie, however, that is insufficient.
Instead of behaving maturely, he opts to jeopardize the bill—remember, the GOP’s majority in the House is razor-thin, allowing for only one defection—and invite all the political fallout that a shutdown would entail.
He expressed on X: “Why would I vote to continue the waste fraud and abuse DOGE has found?”
However, sabotaging this resolution will not offer any sustainable solution to government waste in the long run.
In fact, considering that President Trump played a significant role in making DOGE a reality and that a shutdown would reflect poorly on him, Massie’s “nay” is considerably more likely to harm the cause he claims to champion.
The reality is that he craves the spotlight, and playing the role of the “fly in the ointment” is his way of securing attention.
He executed a similar maneuver during the critical January vote to re-elect Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker, casting the lone Republican no vote.
He has also shown this pattern in foreign policy, notably voting against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which aims to penalize China for its treatment of the Uighurs, as just one recent example.
Massie is, as Trump would call him, a “grandstander”; he even laughs off the president’s suggestion for a primary challenge next year, having previously fended off three.
Perhaps the fourth attempt might succeed, but one way or another, the GOP will need to find a method to address Massie’s theatrics.
