Federal Budget
December 12, 2025 — John Hinderaker
I remain convinced that the Democrats’ 2025 government shutdown was mostly a dry run for a much more substantial shutdown that they contemplate for next year. They wanted to know whether a shutdown would work for them politically. If so, they will trot out the same strategy, in spades, in 2026. Unfortunately, it did work. Chuck Schumer explains: Co-host Joe Scarborough asked, “Let’s circle back here, Senator, because you caught
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November 12, 2025 — Bill Glahn
In the end (if this is the end) what was it all about? The record-long federal government shutdown (43 days, over six weeks) could end as early as tonight, if the House of Representatives goes along with the deal passed by the Senate on Monday. My theory is it all had to do with the odd-year elections in New Jersey and Virginia. A week later, everyone now believes that last
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November 11, 2025 — Bill Glahn
It looks like Congress took the holiday off today, seeking to reassemble tomorrow (Wednesday) to pass the legislatiion needed to end the 42-day (six-week) federal government shudown. From the New York Post, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has summoned the House back into session to pass a stopgap funding bill as soon as Wednesday that would end the longest government shutdown in US history. Now, it’s possible that Johnson’s own
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November 10, 2025 — Bill Glahn
The shutdown continues, although its days are numbered. Last night, Senate Democrats lent 8 votes to reach 60 to end the filibuster on the bill to end the shutdown. I don’t believe a word of the “outrage” directed against Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (NY) or the eight “defectors” in his caucus. It seems to me to be entirely performative. A show for the rubes who bought into the con.
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November 10, 2025 — John Hinderaker
The Democrats’ base has erupted in anger after eight Democrat senators crossed over to vote with Republicans last night to end the filibuster of the continuing resolution, thus re-opening the federal government. But even after 40 days, a large majority of Senate Democrats wanted to keep the shutdown going. The Democrat base’s reaction to ending the shutdown exposes the absurdity of the position Democrats have taken for the last six
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November 9, 2025 — John Hinderaker
After nearly 40 days, the Schumer Shutdown is finally over. Enough Democrats are reportedly crossing over, abandoning their party’s intransigent stance, to allow the government to resume operations. From what has been reported, it doesn’t sound like the Republicans gave up anything significant. Based on the speeches by Chuck Schumer (bordering on the insane) and John Thune, it sounds like what tipped the balance was disruption to air travel. Important
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November 8, 2025 — Bill Glahn
My entire adult life I have been held back by the burden of a public-school education. You see, I am incapable of understanding the sophisticated and unassailable arguments put forward by my societal betters. The debate over funding food stamps (SNAP) during the government shutdown has driven home this hard lesson. For a master class on rhetoric, see the following, Al Franken (Harvard): “Trump’s withholding of SNAP is truly evil.
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November 7, 2025 — Bill Glahn
You may have thought that there was one, but there isn’t. Perhaps at one time, but not anymore. A single federal district judge in Rhode Island, one of 677 across America, is now running the U.S. government. Despite the clear language of our former Constitution, the clear language of our former federal statutes, a lack of any appropriations, and the widespread understanding that the federal government has been “shut down,”
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November 7, 2025 — Bill Glahn
Democrats think they are “winning” the shutdown. As long as they continue to think that, it will continue, into 2026, perhaps into 2029. Yesterday’s offer from Senate leader John Thune (R-SD) has been rejected. From The Hill newspaper, Deal to reopen government falters over Democrats’ distrust of Trump. A “deal” can’t “falter” if there never was a deal. Distrust of Trump? The Hill reports, Democratic support for a potential deal
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November 6, 2025 — Bill Glahn
From The Hill newspaper, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is set to hold a vote Friday with an eye toward ending the government shutdown. The GOP leader told lawmakers over a conference lunch that he will hold another vote on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that has failed to advance 14 times so far. This time, however, Thune is putting it on the floor with an eye toward amending
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November 6, 2025 — Bill Glahn
Nothing succeeds like success. The dirty little secret of political science is that there is almost no science in it. The profession runs entirely on folklore: whatever tactic that was seen as working in the last election will work in the next one and the next one. You can’t run controlled experiments. The conventional wisdom prevails, always. Headlines from The Hill newspaper this morning. One: Democrats’ confidence in shutdown strategy
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November 4, 2025 — Bill Glahn
Today’s headline round up from The Hill newspaper, One: Democrats divided over cutting deal to end shutdown. Two: Thune ‘optimistic’ shutdown may end this week, eyes spending bill through January. Three: Lawmakers hopeful Election Day will be turning point in the shutdown fight. Senate Democrats have backed themselves into a corner in this shutdown business and are desperately seeking some exogenous event (deus ex machina) to justify a change of course.
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November 3, 2025 — Bill Glahn
From NPR News, SNAP benefits will restart, but will be half the normal payment and delayed. This result is that massive victory Democrats were crowing about all weekend. A federal district judge or two ordered the Administration to use up contingency funds to make the partial November payment, The $5 billion in that fund falls well short of the full cost of SNAP benefits — $8 billion — each month.
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November 3, 2025 — Bill Glahn
“Offramp” is in the air in our nation’s capital. All from The Hill newspaper, One: Democrats, GOP look for shutdown off-ramp. Two: How Democrats, GOP could end shutdown and save face. Three: 8 Democrats sit at center of potential deal to end government shutdown this week. If the shutdown extends until Wednesday, which seems to be a near certainty, it will be the longest ever, as they score these things.
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October 31, 2025 — Bill Glahn
There are more than 600 serving federal district judges across the United States. Democrats managed to find two of the 600+ to “order” the executive branch to divert $5 billion in money set aside for natural disaster relief to partially fund food stamps for November. For his part, Trump seems willing enough to go along with the charade. From The Hill newspaper, Donald Trump indicated Friday he would fund the
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October 31, 2025 — John Hinderaker
As the Schumer Shutdown continues, public attention has focused on the imminent suspension of the food stamp program. Today two federal judges ordered the Trump administration, probably illegally, to continue making SNAP payments despite the fact that Congress has not appropriated money for them. The orders appear to violate Article I, Section 9, Clause 7, of the Constitution, which says ““No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in
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October 31, 2025 — Bill Glahn
Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution reads: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law;” Senate Democrats have voted 13 times, so far, to deny the appropriation to fund the bulk of the U.S. government. Under the Senate’s current set of rules, a supermajority of the Senate (60 votes out of 100) are needed to pass the bill
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