...and one more thing. Mike Johnson is a little chicken. Don't want to take a vote on Epstein? Adjourn and run home. Don't want to negotiate this CR? Adjourn and run home? Don't want to get to 218 signatures on that petition to force a vote on Epstein? Don't swear in a duly new member of Congress. Can he be any more of a little weasel? He thinks he's a big bully, but he's a scared little man.
I'm not a Democrat, and I'm sure as hell not a Republican. They are completely unhinged, now. That said, I think the Democrats completely screwed this one up by filibustering the CR. I get it; they want to "look strong" and show they are fighting for the average American. This is not the time nor the vehicle to do so.
Will Trump use this shutdown for mass Federal worker firings? C'mon, you KNOW he will. Will the Democrats get ACA subsidies extended? Nope.
Here's the deal: when everyone's insurance goes through the roof, Republicans will be to blame. Democrats will be able to honestly say they did what they did to stop that.
I don't disagree; however, I believe that would have been the case, anyhow. The Big Ugly Bill already put the Republicans on record as the ones who were going to make healthcare premiums more expensive. I don't see how this bolsters the Democrats' case.
I would agree, except MAGA voters are being told that the Democrats want tons of money to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants and surgery for trans people. They don't know that the Democrats are fighting for their health care, and the Democrats aren't going in person to deliver that message in the only way out will be heard.
Jamie. I love and respect your work. Seriously. You are one of my two must- reads every morning. But, to quote you, "this is not normal." Nothing is "normal" anymore and I personally believe the Democrats are doing the right thing. They are not rolling over. So Trump is going to gut things that the Democrats like during this shutdown? Do it, Donnie! People will love you for it. You'll show them! Those MAGA types don't even realize all the things the government does for them that the Democrats support and Republicans don't. Trump and his cronies will lose the little support they have left. You can only scream about "transgender for everyone" so long. (How many people even run into a transgender person in their lifetime?) Who knows, after that debacle in Quantico yesterday, what military leaders might do. I believe the men and women in that room take their Constitutional oath seriously. "All enemies, foreign and domestic" might not be the protesters at ICE facilities. It might be leaders within our government.
Jamie, you might be right about who gets blamed for this based on history, but I believe in our new bizzaro world, things are truly upside down.
The only thing that MIGHT draw fire from the Democrats for shutting the government down is Trump's using the shutdown to cut jobs. Some MAGA will approve of that. But others will be negatively impacted. IF those MAGA people remember that Trump cutting jobs during a shutdown is not normal and therefore his own choice, and IF they are personally damaged by it, they MIGHT pull away from Trump because of it. But honestly, I don't have much hope of that.
If the Democrats are going to succeed at getting more money for health care, they need to filibuster the actual bill involved with finding health care, not the clean CR, and they need to prepare the soil by doing lots of town halls in red districts first. Even that's a long shot, but it's not as long as this one.
The Dems are responsible for this but to say “Schumer will be responsible for the largest firing of public sector workers in the history of the United States,” is just a lie. Trump will be the the one saying “You’re Fired”
I agree, but MAGA will never hear about that distinction, because the Democrats can only break that information bubble by going in person to red districts.
I feel like this is a no-win situation for Democrats. How can they vote for any funding bill knowing that Trump (with the Supreme Court’s blessing) will withhold spending on whatever he wants?
But there is no endgame that gets Democrats any real concessions either.
They DON'T vote for it; they just don't filibuster it. Regroup and actually have a plan in 7 months, when this CR runs out and the next government shutdown looms (insert eyeroll).
When we found out that Congressional Republicans hadn't told Trump about their refusal to continue the ACA subsidies, it became clear that they are responsible.
Trump is obviously checked out, his pudding brain at the mercy of whoever talked to him last. That's why Thune and Johnson horned in on Trump’s meeting with the Democrats on Tuesday.
Jamie, Have the Republicans compromised or negotiated on anything since Trump was elected? This may be the only chance they get to claw back the unilateral cuts made in the Big Bill. Would you rather have a shut down now or in Nov. as we approach the holidays? The Dems gave the Republicans a chance to engage after the last CR and they didn't. So, the Republican claim that negotiation shouldn't be tied to this CR is hollow.
I am so sick and tired of all of this!! Who do I blame? Everyone in congress , the President is just as guilty!! Why? In my opinion they are working for themselves or their party not for the people that elected them. I'm just fed up with it all!!!!
It just seems to me that if you need someone’s support to pass something, then you need to give them something for their support. Thune isn’t doing that. If he did, maybe we wouldn’t be here.
Trump says the last thing he wants is a shutdown. Not true. The last thing he wants is to let Democrats have a try at fixing the healthcare stuff.
You might have mentioned mass firings of federal employees in the current situation would not be lawful. Also, that a major component of Democrats’ thinking is recent experience of Trump refusing to spend duly appropriated funds. And finally, that we have already had government shutdowns this year — entire agencies shuttered, their operations discontinued, their employees abused and locked out. Democrats in Congress had nothing to do with that (neither did Republicans in Congress).
I respect your long experience reporting on Congress when America did not face an incipient dictatorship. But our circumstances have changed, and your thinking is out of date.
@Jamie Dupree what are you hearing about the bill to pay the military during the shutdown? I see it only has 91 congressional signings as of this writing
We were stationed in San Diego during the 2018 shutdown. While pay for regular military was passed, our coast guard friends were left out and it was awful. If anyone reading this is inclined, please call your representatives and ask them to pass The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 (H.R. 5401) as soon as possible
...and one more thing. Mike Johnson is a little chicken. Don't want to take a vote on Epstein? Adjourn and run home. Don't want to negotiate this CR? Adjourn and run home? Don't want to get to 218 signatures on that petition to force a vote on Epstein? Don't swear in a duly new member of Congress. Can he be any more of a little weasel? He thinks he's a big bully, but he's a scared little man.
I'm not a Democrat, and I'm sure as hell not a Republican. They are completely unhinged, now. That said, I think the Democrats completely screwed this one up by filibustering the CR. I get it; they want to "look strong" and show they are fighting for the average American. This is not the time nor the vehicle to do so.
Will Trump use this shutdown for mass Federal worker firings? C'mon, you KNOW he will. Will the Democrats get ACA subsidies extended? Nope.
Here's the deal: when everyone's insurance goes through the roof, Republicans will be to blame. Democrats will be able to honestly say they did what they did to stop that.
I don't disagree; however, I believe that would have been the case, anyhow. The Big Ugly Bill already put the Republicans on record as the ones who were going to make healthcare premiums more expensive. I don't see how this bolsters the Democrats' case.
It's one more piece of proof.
I would agree, except MAGA voters are being told that the Democrats want tons of money to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants and surgery for trans people. They don't know that the Democrats are fighting for their health care, and the Democrats aren't going in person to deliver that message in the only way out will be heard.
That one more "piece of proof" gives Trump the green light to fire more Federal workers. I don't think that's a good tradeoff.
Jamie. I love and respect your work. Seriously. You are one of my two must- reads every morning. But, to quote you, "this is not normal." Nothing is "normal" anymore and I personally believe the Democrats are doing the right thing. They are not rolling over. So Trump is going to gut things that the Democrats like during this shutdown? Do it, Donnie! People will love you for it. You'll show them! Those MAGA types don't even realize all the things the government does for them that the Democrats support and Republicans don't. Trump and his cronies will lose the little support they have left. You can only scream about "transgender for everyone" so long. (How many people even run into a transgender person in their lifetime?) Who knows, after that debacle in Quantico yesterday, what military leaders might do. I believe the men and women in that room take their Constitutional oath seriously. "All enemies, foreign and domestic" might not be the protesters at ICE facilities. It might be leaders within our government.
Jamie, you might be right about who gets blamed for this based on history, but I believe in our new bizzaro world, things are truly upside down.
The only thing that MIGHT draw fire from the Democrats for shutting the government down is Trump's using the shutdown to cut jobs. Some MAGA will approve of that. But others will be negatively impacted. IF those MAGA people remember that Trump cutting jobs during a shutdown is not normal and therefore his own choice, and IF they are personally damaged by it, they MIGHT pull away from Trump because of it. But honestly, I don't have much hope of that.
If the Democrats are going to succeed at getting more money for health care, they need to filibuster the actual bill involved with finding health care, not the clean CR, and they need to prepare the soil by doing lots of town halls in red districts first. Even that's a long shot, but it's not as long as this one.
The Dems are responsible for this but to say “Schumer will be responsible for the largest firing of public sector workers in the history of the United States,” is just a lie. Trump will be the the one saying “You’re Fired”
I agree, but MAGA will never hear about that distinction, because the Democrats can only break that information bubble by going in person to red districts.
I feel like this is a no-win situation for Democrats. How can they vote for any funding bill knowing that Trump (with the Supreme Court’s blessing) will withhold spending on whatever he wants?
But there is no endgame that gets Democrats any real concessions either.
Then Republicans get the blame next year for jacking up everyone's health insurance, and in time for the midterms.
They DON'T vote for it; they just don't filibuster it. Regroup and actually have a plan in 7 months, when this CR runs out and the next government shutdown looms (insert eyeroll).
The point is to make Republicans say they want your health insurance costs to skyrocket.
https://substack.com/@adamkinzinger/note/c-161683888?r=110br
When we found out that Congressional Republicans hadn't told Trump about their refusal to continue the ACA subsidies, it became clear that they are responsible.
Trump is obviously checked out, his pudding brain at the mercy of whoever talked to him last. That's why Thune and Johnson horned in on Trump’s meeting with the Democrats on Tuesday.
Jamie, Have the Republicans compromised or negotiated on anything since Trump was elected? This may be the only chance they get to claw back the unilateral cuts made in the Big Bill. Would you rather have a shut down now or in Nov. as we approach the holidays? The Dems gave the Republicans a chance to engage after the last CR and they didn't. So, the Republican claim that negotiation shouldn't be tied to this CR is hollow.
And now how does it feel to be in the National Guard and being dispatched but NOT PAID
PS. Did those military leaders sign on to
Do training
In US Cities!
And their pay stops as they head back
What happens to we retired feds? Will our retirement benefits be effected? Annuity, Social Security, medical insurance, Medicare? I'm scared!
I am so sick and tired of all of this!! Who do I blame? Everyone in congress , the President is just as guilty!! Why? In my opinion they are working for themselves or their party not for the people that elected them. I'm just fed up with it all!!!!
Blaming everyone means the real perps escape punishment
Hi Jamie, I sure appreciate your newsletter.
It just seems to me that if you need someone’s support to pass something, then you need to give them something for their support. Thune isn’t doing that. If he did, maybe we wouldn’t be here.
Trump says the last thing he wants is a shutdown. Not true. The last thing he wants is to let Democrats have a try at fixing the healthcare stuff.
They are all to blame for the shutdown . They aren't doing their jobs. They never passed last year's spending bills.
You might have mentioned mass firings of federal employees in the current situation would not be lawful. Also, that a major component of Democrats’ thinking is recent experience of Trump refusing to spend duly appropriated funds. And finally, that we have already had government shutdowns this year — entire agencies shuttered, their operations discontinued, their employees abused and locked out. Democrats in Congress had nothing to do with that (neither did Republicans in Congress).
I respect your long experience reporting on Congress when America did not face an incipient dictatorship. But our circumstances have changed, and your thinking is out of date.
I appreciate your reporting on this Jamie and agree w/ your assessment. Probably ends by Monday?
I don't know about it being over by Monday...
@Jamie Dupree what are you hearing about the bill to pay the military during the shutdown? I see it only has 91 congressional signings as of this writing
I would be very surprised to see that pass
We were stationed in San Diego during the 2018 shutdown. While pay for regular military was passed, our coast guard friends were left out and it was awful. If anyone reading this is inclined, please call your representatives and ask them to pass The Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 (H.R. 5401) as soon as possible