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Or…I talk to a Senate insider about how a shutdown works, why it happens and the political stakes for the rest of us.
by Kevin Ellis for Conflict of Interest
A lot of us won’t feel this government shutdown. I didn’t feel it flying to SF for a son’s wedding. Social Security checks will go out. National park trash bins may overflow. But for the most part, Congress has insulated itself from the worst political impact of shutdowns so their constituents don’t get mad at them.
For now, we will have to watch the bickering on cable news as each side jockeys for political advantage. Democrats shut down the government to demand trillions in health care perks for illegals! (Not true) Trump shut down the government so he could throw millions off Medicaid and raise their premiums! (True)
It is all so tiring. And the Democratic party, led by a Brooklyn senator (Chuck Schumer) and a Brooklyn House member Hakeem Jeffries, just cannot find the right message, strategy and tactics to get through to the voters about how absolutely screwed they will be under the health care cuts passed by this Republican Congress.
And waiting in the tall grass is a man whose name you might not know – Russell Vought. He is the director of the Office of Management and Budget. And his goal – stated publicly for years – is to shrink the size of the federal government so that it cannot carry out its duties. He is messianic about this and Trump has given him free reign.
So whom do you call to understand it all when you are overrun by it all but still feel a duty to understand and participate in this democracy of ours? You call Luke Albee.
Why? Because he was there in the Senate during previous shutdowns. He was chief of staff to Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Mark Warner of Virginia. He is a serious Democratic insider who counsels nominees for cabinet posts on how to win confirmation battles. And he was in the room where it happened (Thanks Lin Manuel-Miranda) for many many years.
Albee is also a Vermonter, which gives him serious cred in my book. His general view, which he is not shy about stating, is that Democrats need to get over themselves (especially progressives), focus on fights you can win (health care) and recognize the very real danger of guys like Russell Vought.
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Categories: Commentary, National News
One sided and full of spin. Only half the information needed to determine the [true][not true]
Ellis writes: “Democrats shut down the government to demand trillions in health care perks for illegals! (Not true) Trump shut down the government so he could throw millions off Medicaid and raise their premiums! (True).” That is dishonest framing and inaccurate assessment of each charge. Ellis must know that the health insurance subsidies at dispute are Covid-era (extended by the Inflation Reduction [sic] Act) and that many states do provide Medicaid to illegals. And yes, Affordable [sic] Care Act subsidies will return to the pre-Covid model. That will be painful for some people but not unexpected.
Ellis pleads with Democrats to focus on fights they can win. He should add “honestly”. Because health care – at least in this round – is otherwise not one of those.
Actually what you say is not true is true, Democrats are playing semantics with the title and terms, calling illegals ‘Parolees’ because CBP gave them a court date, but they still entered the Country illegally. Also Democrats are demanding the cuts of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ be reinstated including funding to USAID which is not an aid agency but a back door funding to groups funding the overthrow of Governments both foreign and domestic
October 2013 government shutdown Silvio Conte Refuge The gate was closed but not locked because the camp lease holders had private property and had to have the ability to go to their camps. I was told i could go to my camp but had to stay in the camp and could not travel on the Silvio Conte land. All others were banned from the refuge. Comment from Richard Day.
So the theory is that Russell Vought wants to shrink government until it can’t function? That’s a pretty absurd leap. He has not stated that as far as I can tell (did you even google it? pretty low bar for intellectual curiosity…) Plenty of us think the real problem is a federal government that’s bloated, expensive, and way outside its constitutional lane, all while racking up $38 trillion in debt. Cutting back isn’t sabotage, it’s basic math.
Exemplifies the larger question, why are there ‘non essential employees’ on Government payroll
There should be a requirement for Schumer and they Democrats he is afraid of opposing him in a primary to change their rhetoric to GOP is demanding Health Care cuts to American Citizens, they won’t because they know it isn’t true
The continuing false dichotomy. “…to shrink the size of the federal government so that it cannot carry out its duties.” The point is that the federal government has too many duties and can’t carry them out as it is. So… shrink the size of the federal government, return the money being spent on its inefficiencies to taxpayers, and let the taxpayers carry out their own duties. Clearly, Kevin Ellis doesn’t understand the difference between money spent and money well spent.
Look out- Vought has been lurking in the weeds; like a muskie waiting to pick off perch, minnows, and baby frogs!