A nitpick: "Of course, the typical process for dealing with government funding is for lawmakers to pass 12 individual appropriations bills", except that given how few times this has actually happened, it it not typical. This kind of disfunction is really discouraging.
"In a shutdown, thousands of government workers are sent home, winding down any operations that aren’t deemed essential"
OK, likely a dumb question, but, hasn't this already happened? Including programs and government workers who are essential? We all know who is responsible for that.....
With all of the funding cuts and firings by Musk/Trump to date, has anyone quantified what exactly the additional impact would be of a government shutdown if no CR passes? Better still seeing it broken out state by state because I assume it is not equal. At this point, it seems that it would be helpful for citizens to have that clearer understanding.
Gabe, sorry but Dem's cannot shut down the government. Only the Republicans can do that as they control both the House & Senate as you know! Articles that say "if only" the Dem's would agree and if not, then the Dem's are "shutting down the govt" are inaccurate and wrong. If Trump-Musk-Johnson want this budget, they should pass it without Dem votes. Own it.
Totally correct. The Republicans own both the House and the Senate. If they can’t get a funding bill passed they own that too. Ownership has consequences.
It’s true that Republicans have majorities in the House and Senate, but it’s not true that the CR can pass without Democratic votes. Because of the filibuster, the measure requires 60 votes to pass the Senate, which will require at least seven Democratic votes. If the bill fails to pass the House (where only a simple majority is required), that will be due to Republican inability to stay united. But if it fails to pass the Senate, it will be because Democrats blocked it. Similarly, if Republicans had filibustered a government funding bill during the first two years of Biden’s term, even though Democrats controlled the House and Senate, they would have been the party blocking the funding bill from moving forward.
Nice try but Dems would only be blocking the bill if they actually did decide to filibuster. We really don’t know whether they would or not. Pretty unlikely since they certainly don’t want to be responsible for a government shutdown. Meanwhile, the Republicans are themselves so divided over the contents of the bill that it is unlikely to pass by a simple majority in the first place. The Republicans totally own this mess.
This is separate from the reconciliation process! You’re thinking of the GOP bill to extend tax cuts and raise defense and border security spending, which is proceeding through the reconciliation process. But CRs and regular appropriations bills can’t be done through reconciliation, which means the bill to keep the government open will need 60 votes in the Senate.
You are right. Not a reconciliation process. But a filibuster by the Dems is not guaranteed. It’s not the support of the bill that needs 60 votes, it’s the cloture motion (the motion to stop debate and proceed to a vote). The Dems can certainly vote for cloture without supporting the bill. The Reps can also invoke the nuclear option (too arcane and complex to go into here) and make continuing budget resolutions filibuster proof. But, as I said earlier, there is enough Rep dissent that some Rep senators might not vote for cloture, thus filibustering their own bill, and some Rep senators might not support the bill even if they did support cloture.
"Some swing state Democrats don't know what to do" HOLD THE LINE! That's what you do!!! Do these so called Democrats believe that the Republicans will stick to their word, to the budget and to the LAW now?? Once the GOP have these Dem votes they'll freeze that funding so fast it'll leave a trail of icicles.
Do these Democratic reps (that RAT, Fetterman, does NOT count) realize that we will be coming for them in the STREETS if they pass these tax cuts for billionaires and work with these GOP TRAITORS? We will HOUND them and make Vance's interrupted ski vacation look like a block party
I love how Democrats want to make all these wars now but never want to fund them, but then don't want Trump and Musk to cut back on all this ridiculous crap that adds up. It's not much? It sure is.
A nitpick: "Of course, the typical process for dealing with government funding is for lawmakers to pass 12 individual appropriations bills", except that given how few times this has actually happened, it it not typical. This kind of disfunction is really discouraging.
"In a shutdown, thousands of government workers are sent home, winding down any operations that aren’t deemed essential"
OK, likely a dumb question, but, hasn't this already happened? Including programs and government workers who are essential? We all know who is responsible for that.....
I appreciate your thorough analysis/explanation — as always.
With all of the funding cuts and firings by Musk/Trump to date, has anyone quantified what exactly the additional impact would be of a government shutdown if no CR passes? Better still seeing it broken out state by state because I assume it is not equal. At this point, it seems that it would be helpful for citizens to have that clearer understanding.
Gabe, sorry but Dem's cannot shut down the government. Only the Republicans can do that as they control both the House & Senate as you know! Articles that say "if only" the Dem's would agree and if not, then the Dem's are "shutting down the govt" are inaccurate and wrong. If Trump-Musk-Johnson want this budget, they should pass it without Dem votes. Own it.
Totally correct. The Republicans own both the House and the Senate. If they can’t get a funding bill passed they own that too. Ownership has consequences.
It’s true that Republicans have majorities in the House and Senate, but it’s not true that the CR can pass without Democratic votes. Because of the filibuster, the measure requires 60 votes to pass the Senate, which will require at least seven Democratic votes. If the bill fails to pass the House (where only a simple majority is required), that will be due to Republican inability to stay united. But if it fails to pass the Senate, it will be because Democrats blocked it. Similarly, if Republicans had filibustered a government funding bill during the first two years of Biden’s term, even though Democrats controlled the House and Senate, they would have been the party blocking the funding bill from moving forward.
Nice try but Dems would only be blocking the bill if they actually did decide to filibuster. We really don’t know whether they would or not. Pretty unlikely since they certainly don’t want to be responsible for a government shutdown. Meanwhile, the Republicans are themselves so divided over the contents of the bill that it is unlikely to pass by a simple majority in the first place. The Republicans totally own this mess.
This is separate from the reconciliation process! You’re thinking of the GOP bill to extend tax cuts and raise defense and border security spending, which is proceeding through the reconciliation process. But CRs and regular appropriations bills can’t be done through reconciliation, which means the bill to keep the government open will need 60 votes in the Senate.
You are right. Not a reconciliation process. But a filibuster by the Dems is not guaranteed. It’s not the support of the bill that needs 60 votes, it’s the cloture motion (the motion to stop debate and proceed to a vote). The Dems can certainly vote for cloture without supporting the bill. The Reps can also invoke the nuclear option (too arcane and complex to go into here) and make continuing budget resolutions filibuster proof. But, as I said earlier, there is enough Rep dissent that some Rep senators might not vote for cloture, thus filibustering their own bill, and some Rep senators might not support the bill even if they did support cloture.
They need 60 votes and they only have 51 so no Democrat should sign this PC of shit.
"Some swing state Democrats don't know what to do" HOLD THE LINE! That's what you do!!! Do these so called Democrats believe that the Republicans will stick to their word, to the budget and to the LAW now?? Once the GOP have these Dem votes they'll freeze that funding so fast it'll leave a trail of icicles.
Do these Democratic reps (that RAT, Fetterman, does NOT count) realize that we will be coming for them in the STREETS if they pass these tax cuts for billionaires and work with these GOP TRAITORS? We will HOUND them and make Vance's interrupted ski vacation look like a block party
I love how Democrats want to make all these wars now but never want to fund them, but then don't want Trump and Musk to cut back on all this ridiculous crap that adds up. It's not much? It sure is.
Thanks, Gabe, that was helpful.
HELL YES… The GOP wants to jam Russians down our throats. We cannot help them with this unfettered access. Put the heat on them.