Donald Trump has blamed Democrats for stalled talks that have made a US government shut down all but certain, and has threatened to punish the party and its voters during any stoppage by targeting progressive priorities and forcing mass public sector job cuts.
It is an opportunity, isn’t it?
The president added that a “lot of good can come down from shutdowns” and suggested he would use the pause to “get rid of a lot of things we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things”.
Now, I’m not sure that I’m wholly right about this but I have the impression that government shutdown used to be a really big thing. Mebbe under Reagan it happened – and I was in DC – and this was the very terror. It was certainly unusual, even unprecedented.
Now it’s just one of those things that happens every few years. Congress – really the H of Reps – is incapable of getting a budget out on time or even in form. There should be a bill from each committee with spending for their area. Instead, as these near never appear on time, we get a series of continuing resolutions and little that would actually be considered a consideration of the actual budget. Just a last minute thrashing around like we’ve just had.
Essentially, my observatiomn is that government isn’t getting any better even in its basic task of being the government, let alone what it does to the rest of us.
It’s such a regular threat it’s no longer a threat anymore, more of a ‘Go on then, I dare you!’…
I’m getting the feeling it’s becoming more of a US-ian tradition, used by anyone who happens in the opposition this time to throw a tantrum and possibly wheel-deal funding for their Pet Projects shoved under the Pile.
Welcome to the Circus!! 😉
When Reagan first did it, wasn’t the shutdown really a kind of money saving method ? Just stopping for the day took a huge chunk out of the deficit.
Vaguely related.
After all this fuss about Trump ordering all his generals and admirals to attend this meaning, it looks like he and Hesgeth laid down the law to them. They didn’t like it. Good.
Do the same to the judges.
Give them all a mandatory undergraduate level test on civics and the constitution.
Those who fail, and they will be legion, are no longer permitted to serve.
Is there anything to stop the DOJ from implementing this policy?
Probably some federal judge in Shitholeville Louisiana.
Can’t really do it to what is supposed to be a co-equal branch of government. The President, as Commander-in-Chief, can clearly do it to the generals and admirals.
But can the DOJ do it? If not do judges effectively have lifetime tenure.
Unlike previous shutdowns when non-essential federal employees only had to navigate short-term cash shortages secure in the knowledge they would soon receive full back pay this may be different as numerous bureaucrats will be subject to a “reduction in force” or permanent redundancy.
It all would sound quite promising if it wasn’t for those pesky federal district judges who will undoubtedly rule that, yet again, the elected government has no right to govern.
If things continue to function without the staff present it is proof that their jobs really are redundant. Just like during Covid when huge chunks of the public sector were sent home, yet the public sector continued to function. That’s the very definition of redundant.
From https://coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2025/10/understanding-the-government-shutdown.html
The IRS is fully funded through 2030, or thereabouts, thanks to Biden.
Shutdowns are bad when Republicans cause them. M’kay?
Trump’s threat to fire government workers wholesale has Gamecock giddy as a school girl.
He could fire a half-million. You don’t get back pay if fired. Also, he should fire all contractors. Millions of them. I’m hoping he chokes the Democrats on their shutdown.
Democrats are used to Republicans as Noble Losers. Trump doesn’t play their game.