Well, much of the information in this blog may be outdated by the time you read it.
With a government shutdown set to begin Sunday morning, each hour could bring new developments as lawmakers attempt to stave off this worst case scenario. However, time and partisanship are not on their side.
The Senate advanced a bipartisan stopgap funding measure but even that bill can’t be passed until Sunday due to time allocated for debate. And if passed, GOP hardliners in the House have refused to even consider it in their chamber. Speaking of the House, appropriations bills were passed for Defense, Homeland Security, and State/Foreign Operations. A fourth bill to cover Agriculture failed to gain enough votes to pass.
At the time of this newsletter’s writing, House Republicans are teeing up their own stopgap bill, known as a Continuing Resolution. The fate of that bill is still uncertain as Speaker McCarthy has been trying for weeks to find a compromise with the more hardline members of his caucus some of whom have refused to even consider a Continuing Resolution. Even if that bill passes, it will go over like a lead balloon in the Senate. These latest efforts by the House are largely negotiating tactics, showing that the House does not need to swallow whatever bills come out of the Senate as they can provide their own alternative. So what does all this mean? A shutdown is essentially inevitable and the duration of that shutdown is uncertain.
Speaker McCarthy is in a tough spot. If he pushes for a bipartisan stopgap bill, his Freedom Caucus detractors may push to oust him from his position. If he acquiesces to their most partisan demands, he will never reach a deal with the Senate. Meanwhile, the world watches and asks why America insists on shooting itself in the foot. California Senator Dianne Feinstein has passed away at the age of 90. The Senator’s health had been a subject of public debate for some time. The Senator had a storied Congressional career which spanned more than three decades.
And in a bevy of other news, the second Republican Presidential Primary Debate occurred this week without the primary frontrunner in attendance, Senator Menendez refused to resign amidst growing calls from Senate Democrats to step down, and former President Trump’s businesses are in peril after a judge ruled that the Trump Organization was liable for fraud. If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please use the link at the bottom of this page or contact us directly.