“Enemy Of The Base”: Right-Wing Media Attack Speaker Paul Ryan Over Budget Deal

Written by Alex Kaplan, Nick Fernandez, Cristiano Lima & Dayanita Ramesh

Published

Conservative media lambasted House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) after the passage of a year-end budget package, calling it “an absolute betrayal” and saying that “Paul Ryan” is “already a disaster” for delivering “wins” to President Obama in a move that will “boost the candidacy of the Republican establishment's preferred contenders.”

Congress Passes Budget Deal

Roll Call: “Congress Sends Omnibus To Obama.” On December 18, Congress passed a year-end budget package that would “fund government operations through the remainder of fiscal 2016”:

The Senate passed a year-end omnibus package, 65-33, that combined a $1.1 trillion spending bill with a tax extenders measure, sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature and wrapping up Congress' 2015 legislative session.

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Earlier in the day, the House passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill, leaving the Senate to clear the omnibus for the president's signature.

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The legislation to fund government operations through the remainder of fiscal 2016 passed the House, 316-113, with 166 Democrats shoring up the majority of support. But 150 Republicans also voted for it, a significantly larger number than the party has had on previous bills of similar consequence. [RollCall.com, 12/18/15]

Right-Wing Media React By Attacking Speaker Ryan Over The Budget Deal, Claiming It “Helps Jihadis And Hurts Americans”

Rush Limbaugh: “GOP Sells America Down The River.” During the December 17 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, host Rush Limbaugh claimed that the “country was just sold down the river again by your very Republican Party.” Limbaugh went on to say that by contributing to the bill's passage, the GOP has “surrender[ed] the power of the purse” and that “excuses” are being made for Paul Ryan:

RUSH LIMBAUGH (HOST): The country was just sold down the river again by your very Republican Party. I have a headline here from The Washington Times: “White House Declares Total Victory Over GOP in Budget Battle.” That headline's a misnomer. There was never a battle. None of this was opposed. The Republican Party didn't stand up to any of it, and the die has been cast for a long time on this. I know many of you are dispirited, depressed, angry, combination of all of that. But, folks, there was no other way this could go. Because two years ago when the Republican Party declared they would never do anything that would shut down the government and they would not impeach Obama, there were no obstacles in Obama's way and there were no obstacles in the way of the Democrat Party.

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And as [Sen. Jeff] Sessions [R-AL] points out, “This is a further disenfranchisement of the American voter because the American voter clearly in the last two midterm elections has stood up and loudly stated, 'No. Don't want this. Stop this.” It didn't matter. It's so bad that over at Slate.com they're making excuses for Paul Ryan. I think in some places in the left-wing media, they can't believe the scope of the betrayal. They're feeling a little guilty at how easy this has been. They're feeling a little guilty here. I'm joking, of course. But one of the Salon.com columnists said, “Hey, you know, you guys need to cut Ryan some slack. He was left with a huge mess and not much time to fix it.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 12/17/15]

Breitbart News: “Paul Ryan Betrays America: $1.1 Trillion, 2,000-Plus Page Omnibus Bill Funds 'Fundamental Transformation Of America.'” A December 16 article from Brietbart News called Rep. Paul Ryan's “first major legislative achievement ... a total and complete sell-out of the American people masquerading as an appropriations bill,” speculating that the bill's passage “will boost the candidacy of the Republican establishment's preferred presidential contenders.” The article accused Ryan of “betray[ing] America” and described the bill as “fund[ing a] 'fundamental transformation of America.'”[Breitbart News, 12/16/15]

Drudge Report: “Ryan Gives It All Away.” The front page of The Drudge Report on December 17 claimed, “Ryan gives it all way”:

[Drudge Report, 12/17/15]

Mark Levin Claims “Paul Ryan Already A Disaster.” Conservative radio host Mark Levin wrote in a December 16 tweet that “Paul Ryan” is “already a disaster,” describing the bill as “RINOs stampeding, massive spending and support for liberal priorities”:

[Twitter.com, 12/16/15]

Ben Shapiro Tweets That “Paul Ryan's Stealth Budget” Creates More Supporters For Trump And Cruz. In a December 16 tweet, Breitbart News' Ben Shapiro mocked the spending bill, writing that Paul Ryan's stealth budget is making more people like Trump and Cruz:

[Twitter.com, 12/16/15]

Laura Ingraham Blames Paul Ryan For "Trampl[ing]" Conservative Goals By Passing Budget Deal. In a December 2015 Lifezette article, radio host Laura Ingraham claimed that Paul Ryan “gave Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid an early Christmas gift,” by ushering a spending bill that “trampled” conservative goals. Ingraham went on, “Speaker Ryan now has to be regarded as a declared enemy of the Base.” [Lifezette.com, December 2015]