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dsc

(52,829 posts)
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 03:53 PM Friday

While I have some sympathy for the idea that we should shut down the govt

my big sticking point is, what is the end game? We can't trust them to abide by any agreement we negotiate with them. So if we shut down the government, get them to agree to somethings, and then what? If it is spending levels Trump just ignores it. If it is firing Elon, he just brings Elon back. My strategy is that we should have said, we won't filibuster, but we won't vote for anything you produce. People voted for GOP governance, and that is what they deserve. If they don't like it, they can vote it out.

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Gore1FL

(22,324 posts)
9. Every answer I give can lead to a "then what?" question.
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 04:48 PM
Friday

Let me give an answer to all of them:

Presuming our leaders decide to lead, they produce a response that provides a message to Americans of what they are doing and why, and then they respond according to that design.

The the other side will do or not do something. Then what?

Presuming our leaders decide to lead, they produce a response that provides a message to Americans of what they are doing and why, and then they respond according to that design.

Lather Rinse Repeat.


Trust me, it's better than our 40-year strategy of capitulating.

Emile

(33,286 posts)
6. Exactly. Saying the minority has the ability to shutdown
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 04:15 PM
Friday

down the government is a right-wing talking point. It's what little Mikey has been spreading.

Emile

(33,286 posts)
11. Trump has been spreading the same message too. Seeing du posters repeatedly posting
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 04:55 PM
Friday

the same propaganda is troubling.

CrispyQ

(39,278 posts)
3. I believe this is the bill they would be voting on. It's dated 3/8/25.
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 04:08 PM
Friday
https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/250308_johnsons_yearlong_crpdf.pdf

snip...

Instead of staying at the negotiating table to pass bipartisan full-year funding bills, Republican
leadership walked away, and House Republicans have now released a partisan, full-year
continuing resolution (CR) they plan to vote on early next week.

As suspected, this full-year CR would hand vast discretion over spending decisions to
President Trump and his administration to zero out programs and redirect funding as they
see fit.

➢ Whereas Congress typically provides scores of specific funding directives for key
program and priorities in full-year funding bills and the accompanying explanatory
statements, under this full-year CR, hundreds of those congressional directives fall away.

➢ This creates slush funds for the Trump administration to reshape spending priorities,
eliminate longstanding programs, pick winners and losers, and more.

➢ Failing to provide specific funding directives from Congress means the Trump
administration has fewer legal constraints on what it can do.


➢ House Republicans could have addressed this glaring problem—but chose not to. Their
yearlong CR includes plenty of unnecessary anomalies but doesn’t address this
fundamental issue because they prefer slush funds for this administration to cut the
programs it wants in order to fund Trump’s priorities instead.

Myriad member priorities are at risk of significant reductions in funding or elimination
under the full-year CR. CDS projects are also not funded in the CR.

➢ Under this CR, the Trump administration could—for example—decide not to spend
funding previously allocated for combatting fentanyl, the SUPPORT Act and other
substance abuse and mental health programs, or specific NIH priorities like Alzheimer’s
disease and vaccine research—and instead steer funding to other priorities of its
choosing. It could also pick and choose which Military Construction, Army Corps, or
transit improvement and expansion projects to fund without direction from Congress—
leaving Democratic states and priorities in the lurch.

➢ This is particularly risky for Democratic cities and states that may have to beg for their
priorities to be funded from an administration that has already cut off vast swaths of
funding and threatened retaliation if jurisdictions do not abide the administration’s
threats.


This is not a “clean” CR. Far from it, the CR includes a bevy of anomalies to provide
additional funding or flexibility for some priorities while shortchanging most others.


It just seems like a bad idea for the legislative branch to just hand over this kind of power. Even though Trump is doing these things anyway, there are lawsuits being filed & yesterday a judge ordered a bunch of fed workers back to work. If we pass this bill, I don't think anyone can sue. ???

elocs

(23,671 posts)
4. From what I've read, Trump would have more powers during a government shutdown
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 04:11 PM
Friday

and that makes sense that would happen in that situation.

Think. Again.

(21,890 posts)
7. Trump will have all the power he needs either way...
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 04:18 PM
Friday

...this fight is about whether Dems agree to his having that power or not.

And since this CR would grant him UNCONSTITUTIONAL power, it must be a NO! from Democrats, even if the repubs say yes.

Cirsium

(2,006 posts)
10. So Schumer claims
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 04:51 PM
Friday

Schumer claims, without any evidence, that a shutdown gives Trump "carte blanche to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now".

He is wrong, in my opinion.

elocs

(23,671 posts)
14. An excuse for martial law is coming sooner or later.
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 09:01 PM
Friday

A legitimate demonstration infiltrated by maga provocateurs who loot or commit violence, providing an excuse for martial. Or even something less than that because Trump will Trump it up.
I saw when he was asked in an interview if he wanted Vance to be his successor and he said "no" which seemed surprising unless he doesn't intend to be leaving power at the end of his term.

But martial law--wait for it, it's coming sooner or later to a country near you and me.

Cirsium

(2,006 posts)
12. Pelosi
Fri Mar 14, 2025, 04:56 PM
Friday

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday issued a blistering statement on how senators should handle a government funding vote that, without naming him, dinged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

“Democratic senators should listen to the women. Appropriations leaders Rosa DeLauro and Patty Murray have eloquently presented the case that we must have a better choice: a four-week funding extension to keep government open and negotiate a bipartisan agreement.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have offered the Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across America. Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5195180-pelosi-schumer-government-funding/

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