Spending Bill/Government Shutdown

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?️ GOP whispers about government shutdown

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Some House Republicans privately expect a spending fight to trigger a government shutdown in October, with one member saying they "wouldn't be making any plans" for that month, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports. Why it matters: Speaker McCarthy's ranks include members who are skeptical he can pull off another survival move by the end of September — with worker furloughs and shuttered federal services at stake. What's happening: House conservatives oppose the use of an "omnibus" to package all 12 must-pass appropriations bills together. But lawmakers are pessimistic about the odds of passing the bills individually by Sept. 30. Many of the House GOP appropriations bills are being loaded with measures on hot-button topics like abortion that could threaten passage — and make it harder to negotiate with the Democratic-controlled Senate. ? Between the lines: Congress can extend the existing budget with a continuing resolution to give members more time to hash out a deal. ? What's next: Short of an omnibus, talk of "minibuses" — which could link some of the 12 appropriations bills together without being a single big package — is emerging, despite resistance by conservatives to bundling bills.

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Amid Heat Wave, GOP Adds Climate Denial To Spending Bills

House Republicans are helping their fossil fuel donors with legislative fine print that would block climate action.

https://www.levernews.com/amid-heat-wave-gop-adds-climate-denial-to-spending-bills/?

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‘We should not fear a government shutdown’: Far-right U.S. House members slam spending bills

WASHINGTON — A handful of ultra-conservative U.S. House Republicans rebuked their leadership on Tuesday over the annual government funding process, but appeared at odds on whether they should force a government shutdown later this year.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/07/25/we-should-not-fear-a-government-shutdown-far-right-u-s-house-members-slam-spending-bills/?

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Biden asks Congress for $40 billion to support Ukraine, replenish US disaster aid and bolster border

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has asked Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year, another massive infusion of cash as the Russian invasion wears on and Ukraine pushes a counteroffensive against the Kremlin’s deeply entrenched forces.

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-invasion-biden-congress-funding-d392f9b1adbb9c44249dce1cccdc2d1e?

House Freedom Caucus fires warning shot over government shutdown

Members of the House Freedom Caucus are making it harder for leadership to avoid a government shutdown, announcing on Monday that they'll oppose a stopgap funding bill unless it caves to their terms.

https://www.axios.com/2023/08/21/freedom-caucus-government-shutdown-border?

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GOP's mad scramble

Tensions over government spending hit a boiling point in this morning's House GOP conference meeting, with a frustrated Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) daring his critics to make good on their threats to try to remove him.

• "If you want to file the motion, file the f***ing motion," an exasperated McCarthy challenged Republicans, while also promising they would remain in session in the event of a government shutdown.

Why it matters: The closed-door blowup may have been exactly what Republicans needed to start scrambling for real solutions, as the threat of an Oct. 1 shutdown looms ever closer, Axios' Andrew Solender and Juliegrace Brufke report.

What we're hearing: Leaders of the right-wing Freedom Caucus and the pragmatist Main Street Caucus have been quietly discussing a stopgap measure to keep the government funded for 30 days while enacting a 5% topline spending cut and most of Republicans' border legislation.

• The negotiators include Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) and Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) of the Main Street Caucus and Reps. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas) of the Freedom Caucus.

Yes, but: That bill, called a continuing resolution, would be designed to pass along party lines in the GOP-led House — and face certain death in the Democratic-led Senate.

• Still, Republicans are desperate to pass something — anything — to strengthen their position in negotiations with the Senate.

The big picture: Some members across the ideological spectrum are pushing for McCarthy to hold a vote next week on a Pentagon funding bill that was shelved yesterday due to opposition from the right.

• Conservative Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told Axios he proposed in a closed-door GOP conference meeting that leadership "put the bill on the floor ... and let it fail."
• "I know conventional wisdom says don't do that because it would slow your forward progress," Massie continued. "But if progress has ground to a halt, it seems like the way to move forward."

What we're watching: The key question is whether the hardliners who have stymied McCarthy's efforts to pass spending bills will continue to stand in the way.

• Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), one of the speaker's most persistent foes, told Axios he has "participated" in the Main Street-Freedom Caucus talks as an observer.
• Asked if he believes progress is being made, Bishop answered cryptically: "I'm not yet prepared to say that I think so or not."

The bottom line: "It's not particularly pretty to watch, but I think pressure is pushing us toward a deal and ... away from a shutdown," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a McCarthy ally who chairs the House Rules Committee.

• "I think we're stumbling toward a solution in spite of ourselves," he added.

The latest: With additional aid to Ukraine set to be left out of any GOP-backed continuing resolution, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Capitol Hill next week, Punchbowl News first reported.

House Freedom Caucus fires warning shot over government shutdown

Members of the House Freedom Caucus are making it harder for leadership to avoid a government shutdown, announcing on Monday that they'll oppose a stopgap funding bill unless it caves to their terms.

https://www.axios.com/2023/08/21/freedom-caucus-government-shutdown-border?

GOP's shutdown divide

Some Senate conservatives worry their House GOP counterparts are playing with fire as they court the idea of forcing a government shutdown at the end of this month, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

State of play: Members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus are floating a zero-sum strategy of using all the leverage at their disposal to force spending cuts and policy concessions, even if that means allowing government funding to run out on Sept. 30.

What they're saying: "I'm just not a shutdown guy," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told Axios. "I don't think we ought to be using that as leverage. ... I'm probably in a different place on this than a lot of my colleagues."

• Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said "we need to not shut down the government. It's important to not shut down government."
• "I hope they don't shut it down," Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said of the Freedom Caucus.

Yes, but: The Freedom Caucus has some backup in the Senate.

• "[People] say, 'The Freedom Caucus is a danger,'" Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told Axios. "No, the danger is the status quo."
• Freshman Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said Republicans should "employ whatever tactics necessary" to get "good" appropriations bills.
• "Certainly I'm willing to shut the government down," said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.). "Whatever it takes to force the issue, to slow down the government spending up here, I'm willing to do it."

The backdrop: Some Freedom Caucus members have taken an indifferent approach to government shutdowns, arguing the potential impacts are overblown.

• "I'm on the record saying I'm not concerned about a government shutdown," Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) told Axios in July. "We shouldn't implement bad policy to avoid that."
• GOP hardliners are also threatening a leadership challenge to squash any repeat of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) bipartisan deal-cutting on the debt ceiling.

Between the lines: Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) summed up why the prospect of a shutdown has many Republicans spooked: "We usually get blamed for it, one way or the other."

• Hawley, who came into office in 2019 under the shadow of a damaging shutdown for Republicans, said that experience "probably has" colored his view of the issue.
• "I don't think it's a successful or effective level in negotiations. I think it ends up hurting people," he said.

What's next: The House is out of session until next week, giving Congress just a few weeks to avert a shutdown.

• In the event a stopgap measure is passed, lawmakers will still likely have only a few months to reconcile House and Senate appropriations bills that diverge sharply on policy and spending levels.

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Centrists plot bailout

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) suffered two major setbacks today in his quest to avert a government shutdown:

1. This morning, McCarthy pulled a procedural vote on a stopgap spending bill that would keep the government funded for another 30 days, after more than a dozen Republicans voiced opposition.
2. This afternoon, five GOP hardliners sided with Democrats to defeat a Pentagon funding bill — demanding Republican leadership provide clarity on the total spending levels of all 12 appropriations bills.

Why it matters: The House GOP is trapped in a cycle of self-sabotage. In an ironic twist of fate, frustrated Republicans are now growing more open to cutting a deal with Democrats — the worst possible outcome for the conservative hardliners agitating for deeper spending cuts.

Driving the news: The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus — comprised of centrists from both parties — is meeting tomorrow to discuss a Plan B. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will be in attendance, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

• "This was a vote for our defense and it should have passed. It's time we start bipartisan talks and make the best deal we can," said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), pointing out that bipartisan negotiations would eventually happen with the Senate in any case.

Zoom in: A subgroup of the PSC focused on appropriations met last week to hammer out a plan to keep the government funded, which they will roll out to the full group at tomorrow's meeting, according to a source familiar.

• A Republican member of the caucus said the deal would be unveiled "when the failure of [the GOP's short-term spending bill] is imminent."

The intrigue: Behind the scenes, the center-left New Democrats and center-right Republican Governance Groups have also had talks about a bipartisan spending solution.

• "God forbid we have a shutdown, I would look to these two groups as some of the ones that are likely to take the lead to finding a path," Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), vice chair of the New Dems, told Axios.

Yes, but: An aide to a Democratic member of the PSC advised taking Republicans' embrace of bipartisan talks with a grain of salt.

• "Likely … they're trying to put pressure on their more conservative colleagues and say, 'Look, you're pushing us into Democrats' hands,'" the aide said.

The big picture: The defeat of the Pentagon funding bill triggered a new wave of anger from rank-and-file Republicans.

• Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), a military veteran, accused the five GOP holdouts of handing a victory to the Chinese Communist Party by voting against "the most conservative DoD bill in modern history."
• "These are the kinds of things people will remember for a long time," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the Rules Committee.

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?️ Dems urge McCarthy to face reality

With the clock ticking to fund the government and avoid a shutdown at the end of the month, Democrats are telling Speaker McCarthy: You need us!

• Why it matters: Any spending bills will need agreement from the Senate and President Biden. But McCarthy's right flank is steering him toward severe budget cuts — while threatening to replace him, and seemingly welcoming a shutdown, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

All 98 House Democrats in the center-left New Democrat Coalition have signed a letter to McCarthy urging him to put the Senate's bipartisan appropriations bill up for a vote, rather than trying to pass House Republicans' party-line bills.

• "There is no scenario where the government doesn't continue operating without a bipartisan agreement," Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) told Axios.

The need for Democratic votes was underscored Sunday night when conservatives swiftly voiced opposition to a short-term spending bill designed by House GOP groups to pass along party lines.

? The other side: House Republicans argue that passing party-line GOP bills in their chamber will strengthen their hand in eventual negotiations with the Senate.

• Some conservatives, while acknowledging the eventual resolution will likely be bipartisan, still say the composition of the bills matters greatly for McCarthy's standing within his conference.

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Speaker McCarthy is running out of options to stop a shutdown as conservatives balk at a new plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy was running out of options Monday as he pushed ahead with a plan to keep the federal government from shutting down, but even including hardline border security provisions wasn’t enough to appease the far-right flank in his Republican House majority.

https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-funding-congress-mccarthy-gop-1c7af4f1febed6596604d8b23ec2a280?

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⚡ GOP's fracturing factions

More than a dozen House Republicans have already vowed to oppose the 30-day government funding deal unveiled by leaders of the right-wing Freedom Caucus and moderate Main Street Caucus last night, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports.

Why it matters: Without changes to appease hardline conservatives, the deal is effectively dead on arrival in the House.

• That's an awfully precarious position for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), given that the GOP plan was meant to be nothing more than an opening bid for negotiations with the Democratic-led Senate.
• "It's an unmitigated disaster right now on the majority side," Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), a senior Appropriations Committee member, told NBC News.

The intrigue: With 12 days left until the government runs out of funding, right-wing Republicans have begun openly attacking each other over whether to back a stopgap bill and how far to push McCarthy.

• Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) publicly criticized Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) for authoring the proposal, pitting two young Florida conservatives against each other in an ugly public feud.
• "It is so painful watching someone I admire so much author a continuing resolution to fund the government agencies I loathe," tweeted Gaetz, who is reportedly being encouraged to run for Florida governor in 2026.

The latest: "If you're not going to pass individual bills, if you're not going to pass a short-term CR … what do you want to do?" a visibly frustrated McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol tonight.

• "If you run for office, you should be willing to govern."

What to watch: McCarthy indicated he would open to tweaking the deal based on the discussions in tomorrow morning's GOP conference meeting.

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Speaker McCarthy faces an almost impossible task trying to unite House GOP and fund the government Facing fresh challenges to his leadership, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is working furiously to convince House Republicans to pass a conservative measure that would keep the federal government open. Read more.

Why this matters: Whatever House Republicans come up with is nearly certain to be rejected by the Senate, where Democrats and most Republicans want to fund the government. In one dramatic sign of defeat Tuesday, a few House Republicans voted against their own defense bill.   Congress faces an end-of-month deadline to pass the broader government funding legislation and get a bill to President Joe Biden’s desk. Otherwise, the U.S. faces massive federal government closures and disruptions.   A compromise between conservatives nearly flatlined behind closed doors on Tuesday. McCarthy warned his fellow Republicans that, politically, no party wins with a closure.

Related coverage ➤ Speaker McCarthy is running out of options to stop a shutdown as conservatives balk at a new plan

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Congress braces for shutdown

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

With 10 days until federal funding expires and no resolution in sight, lawmakers are preparing for a government shutdown that many fear is inevitable, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. Why it matters: The disruptions from House Republicans' infighting aren't confined to the executive branch. The pay of thousands of congressional employees and constituent services — which are especially vital during a shutdown — would be impacted as well. "If anything, constituents are going to need more help if agencies are not there to answer phones and respond to their needs," Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told Axios. Constituents are beginning to take notice: "Some of our locals have started to ask how is this going to impact services," said one staffer. Driving the news: Democrats on the House Administration Committee held a members-only briefing today on "how to best serve your constituents during a government shutdown," according to an invitation obtained by Axios. Republican staffers said they hadn't yet received such guidance as of Wednesday, but their party may soon follow suit. What we're hearing: Members and aides in both parties said they are most worried about an increased constituent caseload, with many offices planning to deem their whole staff "essential" to avoid furloughs. "Everyone on my staff is essential," said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who pointed to his time as an FBI agent during the 2013 shutdown: "It was devastating. Investigations were shut down because of that." Yes, but: There is still a limit to what congressional offices will be able to do to assist constituents with federal agencies undermanned. For example, the State Department's passport backlog, a prominent issue in recent congressional casework, has been a particular concern for many offices. Zoom in: Congressional offices are also grappling with the question of how to keep employees paid. "Millions of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck ... and that is the same for many junior staffers in D.C.," the staffer said, adding that some are planning to dip into their savings. The latest: House Republican leaders floated a new proposal in a closed-door conference meeting this evening that appeared to win over some detractors — the first sign of progress in weeks, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports. The plan would involve: A 30-day stopgap funding bill setting the current government spending level at $1.471 trillion a year. Attaching Republicans' border security legislation to the stopgap bill. An agreement to set full-year spending levels at $1.526 trillion for the 12 appropriations bills Congress must pass. A bipartisan commission to address U.S. national debt. What to watch: Several Republicans who helped tank a Pentagon funding bill yesterday agreed to reverse course, teeing up a vote tomorrow while GOP leadership continues to work on the short-term spending plan.

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? Congress calls it quits

House GOP leadership sent lawmakers home for the weekend after conservative hardliners once again tanked plans to fund the government, forcing McCarthy to abandon his latest plan to avert a shutdown on Oct. 1, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports.

Why it matters: Today's setback — which saw five Republicans vote to block a rule opening debate on a Pentagon funding bill — came as a shock to McCarthy, who believed he had swayed enough of his detractors after a 2.5-hour conference meeting last night.

• "This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down. It doesn't work," McCarthy told reporters after the Pentagon bill went up in flames.
• "I think they thought they had the votes," said former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who boasted that Democrats never lost a rule vote during her leadership in the majority.

Screenshot via X

State of play: At least seven conservative Republicans have expressed firm opposition to leadership's proposal to fund the government for 31 days, forcing McCarthy to abandon plans to vote on the stopgap measure on Saturday.

• The new plan, as of now, is to try to pass three or four appropriations bills at a time when the House returns next week, a gambit that could bring hardliners on board — but not in time to avert a shutdown.
• Some GOP centrists are floating the idea of working with Democrats to force a vote on a bipartisan stopgap measure, a last-ditch maneuver that underscores the extent of frustrations with the conservative holdouts.

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? Most Americans say shutdown would hurt

A fitting sign at a work site on the Capitol's East Plaza on Wednesday. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images More than half of American adults say a shutdown of the federal government would affect them personally — and 68% say the threat of one decreases their trust in the government, Axios' Stef Kight writes from a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults by the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. Why it matters: The survey points to the disarray that would ripple through the nation if — as looks likely — House Republicans fail to settle on a deal to fund the government by the Sept. 30 deadline. ? By the numbers: Democrats (65%) were more likely than Republicans (46%) to say they'd personally be affected by a shutdown. 64% of those polled also said they don't think U.S. senators should block confirmations of top officials to make a political statement.

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Government shutdown risk spikes as House Republicans leave town in disarray amid hard-right revolt U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s latest funding plan is in ruins and lawmakers are departing town for the weekend, offering no clear endgame as hard-right Republicans push dangerously close to a federal shutdown. Read more.

Why this matters: McCarthy has repeatedly tried to appease his far-right flank by agreeing to steep spending cuts in exchange for keeping the government open. Cheered on by former President Donald Trump, who has urged his acolytes to hold the line against elevated funding levels, the ultra-conservatives have all but seized control in dramatic fashion.   The open revolt was further evidence McCarthy’s strategy of repeatedly giving in to the demands of hardline representatives like Florida’s Matt Gaetz has emboldened them to run roughshod over their own House majority. Many on the right flank opposed the deal McCarthy struck with Biden over spending and are trying to reduce funding for various departments. Their amendments have almost no chance in the Senate.   The White House and Democrats, with some Republicans, warn a shutdown would devastate people reliant on government services and undermine U.S. standing in the world. The Biden administration will direct federal agencies on Friday to prepare for a shutdown, according to an Office of Management and Budget official who insisted on anonymity, a standard procedure days before a federal disruption.

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Shutdown inches closer as U.S. House GOP fails to pass defense bill, lawmakers exit D.C.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans were unable for a third time Thursday to begin debate on the Defense funding bill, throwing another wrench into Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership tenure.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/09/21/shutdown-inches-closer-as-u-s-house-gop-fails-to-pass-defense-bill-lawmakers-exit-d-c/?

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GOP's Hail Mary

House Republicans are gearing up for one last attempt to pass a spate of party-line government spending bills before government funding runs out on Saturday, Andrew Solender and Juliegrace Brufke report.

• Why it matters: Top GOP lawmakers hope that passing the bills will put them in a stronger negotiating position with the Senate as they try to avert a government shutdown without igniting a right-wing revolt.

? What we're hearing: During a call yesterday, House GOP leaders tried to sell their members on their plan to pass a few annual spending bills and then pivot to a measure to keep the government funded temporarily.

• Speaker McCarthy made the case for the stopgap measure, which includes the GOP's border bill, telling those on the call: "We are missing a chance to beat up Biden on the border and actually have a victory."

State of play: The House is set to vote Tuesday to bring four funding bills — for the departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security and Agriculture — to the floor.

• The bills would be dead on arrival in the Democrat-led Senate and wouldn't avert a government shutdown.
• But GOP leaders are "trying to get this process on a path where we can truly reduce spending," Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), a McCarthy ally, told reporters.

? Reality check: It's not yet clear whether those Republicans will have the support within their conference to advance those bills to a final vote — much less pass them.

• Keep reading.

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?️ Exclusive: Small business fears shutdown

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

A government shutdown would hurt small business growth and innovation, a vast majority of entrepreneurs say in a Goldman Sachs survey shared first with Axios' Hope King. Why it matters: Small businesses have a big impact on the U.S. economy. They employ close to half of all U.S. private sector workers and are the first to cut costs and staff during downturns. ? By the numbers: 91% of small business owners surveyed from Aug. 29 to Sept. 7 said it's important for the federal government to avert a government shutdown, according to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices survey. 70% said their business would be negatively impacted and of those, 93% believe their revenue would take a hit. Explore the data ...

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? Shutdown's credit threat

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

As House Republicans prepare a last-ditch effort to pass party-line spending bills this week, conversation has increasingly shifted to the costs of a government shutdown: Moody's — the last of the big-three credit rating firms that still lists the U.S. at "triple-A" — warned today that a shutdown would be a "credit negative" event as it would underscore government dysfunction. Nonessential federal functions — including health programs, Social Security and Medicare, SNAP benefits, FDA and small business loans — would be suspended. Far from saving the government money, the last three shutdowns combined cost taxpayers nearly $4 billion in backpay to furloughed workers, according to a 2019 Senate report. Go deeper

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With a government shutdown just days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode With a government shutdown five days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode as Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces an insurgency from hard-right Republicans eager to slash spending even if it means curtailing federal services for millions of Americans. Read more.

Why this matters: There’s no clear path ahead as lawmakers return with tensions high and options limited. The House is expected to vote Tuesday evening on a package of bills to fund parts of the government, but it’s not clear that McCarthy has the support needed to move ahead.   Meanwhile, the Senate is preparing its own bipartisan plan for a stopgap measure to buy some time and keep offices funded past Saturday’s deadline as work in Congress continues.   A government shutdown would disrupt the U.S. economy and the lives of millions of Americans — from air traffic controllers, who would be asked to work without pay, to some 7 million people in the Women, Infants and Children program, including half the babies born in the U.S., who could lose access to nutritional benefits, according to the White House.

Related coverage ➤  Speaker McCarthy is giving hard-right Republicans what they want. But it never seems to be enough. The federal government is headed into a shutdown. What does it mean, who’s hit and what’s next? McCarthy struggles to pass a temporary spending bill to avoid a shutdown as others look at options

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McCarthy's blame game

Locked in a desperate internal stalemate, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) appealed today for a meeting with President Biden to stave off the government shutdown set to take effect Sunday at midnight.

• "Why don't we just cut a deal with the president?" McCarthy asked reporters when pressed on why he hasn't worked with Democrats to reach a short-term funding solution.

Why it matters: There's no evidence that meeting with Biden about the border — just one sticking point in the broader spending standoff — would do anything to solve the House GOP's internal crisis.

• McCarthy knows this, but he's determined to shift blame ahead of a shutdown that could be politically damaging for Republicans and economically damaging for the country.
• "Let's be very clear, [a shutdown] would not be on us," McCarthy argued, contradicting the many Republicans who have blamed GOP hardliners for the impasse — as well as the hardliners who have blamed McCarthy.

The other side: The White House has dismissed calls for Biden to meet with McCarthy, pointing to the spending agreement that the two sides already reached during debt ceiling negotiations.

State of play: Senate leaders unveiled a bipartisan deal today to keep the government funded through Nov. 17 while passing $6.2 billion in additional aid to Ukraine and $6 billion in disaster relief, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

• It's the latest attempt to turn the screws on House Republicans, who vigorously oppose keeping spending at the current levels but do not have a majority for their own stopgap bill.
• GOP hardliners voiced disbelief at the Senate's proposal tonight as the House began debate on four appropriations bills, suggesting another mutiny could be in store if McCarthy is forced to consider the bill.

Between the lines: Lawmakers in both parties are panicked about the potential ramifications a shutdown could have on the U.S. economy.

• Credit rating firm Moody's said yesterday that a shutdown would be "credit negative" for the U.S., potentially endangering the country's last remaining "triple A" rating from the big three credit rating firms.
• Fitch, another ratings agency, downgraded U.S. credit in August following a tense standoff over raising the debt ceiling, citing a "steady deterioration in standards of governance" in recent decades, among other factors.

What they're saying: "When the most powerful government in the world beclowns itself and demonstrates to the world that it's being run by kindergarteners, there's also a huge effect in terms of risk perception and confidence and stability," Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), a member of the Financial Services Committee, told Axios.

Keep reading

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?️ Youngkin nightmare: GOP-led shutdown

A government shutdown could complicate a last-ditch presidential race by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin — a persistent dream of big Republican donors desperate for a Trump alternative, Axios' Hans Nichols writes.

• "If I were Glenn Youngkin, I'd be on the phone saying, 'Make a deal,' because it's really clear that this is a Republican shutdown," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.). "It'll be terrible, and terrible for them."

Why it matters: Youngkin hasn't ruled out a presidential run. His stock would soar if Republicans win control of Virginia's legislature in November.

But a shutdown forced by Republicans in Congress would make that scenario more difficult for Youngkin — and send economic ripples through politically divided Virginia.

• The state is home to more than 140,000 federal workers — half of them in Northern Virginia, just outside D.C. — plus thousands more who do business with the government.

?️ The big picture: Youngkin — a star high-school basketball player from Hampton Road who went on to become a top private-equity executive — made national headlines in 2021 when he upset former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in a state Joe Biden had won by 10 points a year earlier.

• Youngkin, 56, is widely viewed as a potential presidential candidate — and hasn't exactly tamped down speculation about that.
• "There might be others," Youngkin said at an Economic Club of Washington event yesterday, when asked whether he plans to run for another public office.

Youngkin has been barnstorming the commonwealth, urging voters to flip the state Senate and preserve Republicans' narrow edge in the House of Delegates.

• His PAC raised $5.75 million last quarter — a record for any Virginia governor.
• Youngkin wants to cut taxes, both personal and corporate, and give parents more say in what's taught in public schools.

? The intrigue: Major GOP donors have made overtures to Youngkin and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp about jumping into the presidential race this cycle.

• It's possible for Youngkin to get in the race after Virginia's Nov. 7 elections. But it would mean missing the filing deadlines for early presidential contests, including Nevada and South Carolina.

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? McCarthy vs. McConnell

Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

With three days until government funding runs out, the walls are continuing to close in on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from multiple directions: House GOP hardliners, congressional Democrats and the White House are all exerting pressure on McCarthy — and now Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), an erstwhile ally, has joined the fray. State of play: McConnell, who was highly deferential to McCarthy during debt ceiling negotiations, is calling on the House to accept the Senate's bipartisan proposal to keep the government funded until Nov. 17. "We can take the standard approach and fund the government for six weeks at the current rate of operations, or we can shut the government down in exchange for zero meaningful progress on policy," McConnell said on the Senate floor today. The lack of spending cuts or changes to border policy — as well as the inclusion of $6 billion in Ukraine aid — make it impossible for McCarthy to put the bill on the House floor without triggering a right-wing revolt. Screenshot via X Zoom in: McCarthy conveyed that reality to McConnell today, while honing in on border security as a unified GOP priority that could potentially unstick the logjam. The problem? McCarthy has little credibility to speak on behalf of the hardliners in his conference, who seem intent on opposing any short-term funding bill even if it contains their border wish list. What to watch: A group of senators — including Susan Collins (R-Maine), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) — are working on a border-related amendment to the Senate stopgap bill. It won't be the panacea McCarthy needs to stave off a shutdown and save his speakership — but at this point, his options are running out. Go deeper: Top Republicans acknowledge shutdown is coming

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God Forbid that anything be done about spending and the border. 

September 28, 2023

Guess who's upset now about illegal aliens depressing wages

By Andrew Hodge

For many years, leftists have scoffed at the idea that illegal aliens are lowering the wages paid to American citizens and legal immigrants.  We were told how much we benefited from this type of immigration.  Anyone who has ever had a course in microeconomics is presented with supply/demand curves in the first week of class.  The point is made that if the supply of any good or service increases at a rate greater than demand for the same, then price will decline.  The experience of our long-term illegals has validated this reality.  The fact that Americans and legal immigrants have suffered from reduced incomes is ignored by most media and progressive politicians

Can anyone with at least two brain cells to rub together explain the logic or desire to do this? If JOE BLOW taxpayer of the Biden cult or the demented hatred of Trump thinks this is great you get what you deserve. Unfortunately we all have to pay. No one is paying 11,000 for my family

New York City is paying more than $11,000 per month to house a family of four illegals.  They are housed, fed, and clothed.  They get free cell phone service.  Newspapers are reporting that new arrivals are making $3,000 per month by working illegally.

 

 

 

Karl Marx once wrote of repeating events in history that they occur "first as tragedy, then as farce."  

That was my reaction to an article appearing in the Thursday, September 21 New York Post.

The article focused on complaints of existing illegal aliens in the metropolitan New York City area.  The huge influx of illegal aliens has them occupying 50% of the hotel rooms in the city.  They are sleeping all over the sidewalks in Midtown Manhattan.  Mayor Eric Adams has declared that the costs of dealing with them "will destroy the city."  NYC has prided itself on being a sanctuary city willing to house and feed any and all illegal aliens.  Daily television showed city authorities meeting the arriving buses from the border, shaking hands and greeting the new illegals.  But the large flow from the border has swamped the system.  As was posited in Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come."  They did, and they did.

The complaint of the longer-term illegal aliens is that the newly arriving illegal aliens will work for lower wages than the previously resident illegal aliens.  This has forced a reduction in income for the old-timers.  The point that neither group should be working at all under U.S. law seems to be irrelevant to both.

For many years, leftists have scoffed at the idea that illegal aliens are lowering the wages paid to American citizens and legal immigrants.  We were told how much we benefited from this type of immigration.  Anyone who has ever had a course in microeconomics is presented with supply/demand curves in the first week of class.  The point is made that if the supply of any good or service increases at a rate greater than demand for the same, then price will decline.  The experience of our long-term illegals has validated this reality.  The fact that Americans and legal immigrants have suffered from reduced incomes is ignored by most media and progressive politicians.

 

New York City is paying more than $11,000 per month to house a family of four illegals.  They are housed, fed, and clothed.  They get free cell phone service.  Newspapers are reporting that new arrivals are making $3,000 per month by working illegally.

 

 

 

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House Speaker McCarthy is back to square one as the Senate pushes ahead to avert a federal shutdown As the Senate marches ahead with a bipartisan approach to prevent a government shutdown, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is back to square one — asking his hard-right Republicans to do what they have said they would never do: approve their own temporary House measure to keep the government open. Read more.

Why this matters: The Republican speaker laid out his strategy Wednesday behind closed doors, urging his Republican majority to work together and setting up a test vote for Friday, one day before the shutdown deadline, on a far-right bill. It would slash federal spending by 8% and toughen border security but has been rejected by Democrats and his own Republicans.   Pressed on how he would pass a partisan Republican spending plan that even his own right flank doesn’t want, McCarthy had few answers. He rejected outright the Senate’s bipartisan bill, which would fund the government to Nov. 17. Instead, he insisted, as he often does, that he would never quit trying.   Congress is at a crossroads days before a disruptive federal shutdown that would halt paychecks for millions of federal workers, leave 2 million active-duty military troops and reservists to work without pay, close down many federal offices, and leave Americans who rely on the government in the lurch.

Related coverage ➤ Congress says it wants to avoid a shutdown. But the House and Senate are moving even further apart With House Republicans in turmoil, colleagues implore GOP holdouts not to shut down government The Senate’s bipartisan approach to government funding is putting pressure on a divided House

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? Dems quietly weigh McCarthy bailout

House Democrats are considering how to leverage McCarthy's struggles to avert a government shutdown to realign the lower chamber's power dynamics in their favor, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

State of play: Republicans are trying to unite behind a party-line solution to avert a shutdown on Sunday — but with Democrats in control of the Senate, any bill that funds the government will eventually have to be bipartisan.

• McCarthy would likely need Democrats to vote not only for the bill, but for the "rule" — a procedural vote that typically falls along party lines but which GOP hardliners have proved willing to tank.
• The problem: Some hardliners have warned any deal with Democrats could trigger an effort to remove McCarthy via the so-called "motion to vacate."

What we're hearing: Democrats appear willing to step in to help McCarthy pass the rule on a bipartisan, Senate-negotiated stopgap bill, just as they did for the bipartisan debt ceiling bill in May.

• A Democratic leadership aide and several members said their side would vote based on a desire to avert a shutdown, without necessarily requiring concessions from McCarthy.

The intrigue: Where concessions might be extracted is on a subsequent motion to vacate.

• Discussions among Democrats have centered on shifting the ideological balance of House operations — such as demanding more representation on committees, votes on certain Democratic bills and spiking votes on GOP bills.
• But some Democrats said McCarthy's pursuit of an impeachment inquiry and his backtracking on the debt ceiling deal have strained good faith relations.
• "I cannot imagine him paying the price that it would take for us to bail him out," Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said.

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