Congressional Republicans scored a massive victory this summer when they passed President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” of tax and spending cuts without a single Democratic vote. But as they return to Washington this fall after a monthlong August recess, they will have to find a way to work with Democrats — or around them — as a government shutdown looms.
The annual spending battle will dominate the September agenda, along with a possible effort by Senate Republicans to change their chamber’s rules to thwart Democratic stalling tactics on nominations. The Senate is also debating whether to move forward on legislation that would slap steep tariffs on some of Russia’s trading partners as the U.S. pressures Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine.
In the House, Republicans will continue their investigations of former President Joe Biden while Speaker Mike Johnson navigates a split in his conference over whether the Trump administration should release more files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
A look at what Congress will be doing as lawmakers return from the August break:
This is your reminder that we are in a make a deal or shut down situation because of how the Constitution requires the Democrats to have a majority of votes to do anything. Which in theory is how things should work in a majority rule democracy. edit: typo
Without the shutdown Democrats wouldn’t have any leverage right now. Which isn’t great, but is better than nothing for fighting fascism. It would have been better if Democrats had been socialists from the get go and gotten rid of the debt ceiling when they had power but they weren’t and they didn’t.
If you have a third option please share it. And make sure you’re getting fresh air in your building.
They’ll cave like they did 6 months ago.
No shit. Look at what is being argued in this comment section. We need the Democrats to shutdown the government. A user is determined to push a third option instead that the user cannot list. The last thing we need is for people to assume there is a third option when we don’t have one. edit: typos
They don’t though. They want it shut down, they just don’t want to be blamed for it.
This is your reminder that we in a make or deal or shut it down situation because of how Democratic politicians bring a paper napkin to a gunfight and don’t understand basic game theory. That, or they’re simply just captive opposition at this point.
I simply don’t trust them to do anything useful to stop the fascists. With a handful of exceptions, they’re all performative imbeciles with a dismaying lack of character, fortitude, creativity, and will.
It’s this one. Not everyone in the party, but the party as a whole
I know that. Read the comment section. There is a user arguing against shutting down the government on the basis of a third option that the user cannot give in any detail. We need to be pushing the Democrats for a shutdown because they will not do it on their own. The last thing we need is to give Democrats an out when we do not have a third option.
Keep in mind that a shutdown just enables trump to eliminate departments and get rid of people easier. shutdown was a problem for when democrats were in power because they look to have functional government. trump just wants to have a reason to declare martial law and in no way wants a functioning government. A shutdown is not a threat for them.