The Conversation -- September 30, 2023
No Way to Run a Government. Carl Hulse & Catie Edmonson of the New York Times: "Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown on Saturday as the House, in a stunning turnabout, approved a stopgap plan to keep the federal government open until mid-November. After Senate passage, President Biden signed the bill shortly before midnight.... A coalition of House Democrats and Republicans voted to pass a plan that would keep money flowing to government agencies and provide billions of dollars for disaster recovery efforts.... The measure was approved on a vote of 335 to 91, with 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans voting in favor and 90 Republicans and one Democrat in opposition.... The House adjourned immediately after the vote, leaving the Senate to either take up the legislation or face blame for a shutdown, since there was no way for the House to consider additional legislation before Monday. With little alternative, and Senate Republicans clamoring for the House bill, the Senate jettisoned its own stopgap measure that contained $6 billion for Ukraine and approved the House version on an 88 to 9 vote.... In a statement after Senate passage of the bill, Mr. Biden called it 'good news for the American people.' He added, 'I fully expect the speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.'"
~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the GOP-engineered government shutdown crisis: Here's the latest at about 12:30 pm ET Saturday: "With their own members standing in the way of a stopgap measure to keep federal funding flowing, House Republican leaders did what they have been avoiding for weeks, turning to Democrats for help passing a temporary bill. At midday on Saturday, they hastily brought up a measure that would keep government funding flowing for 45 days and include disaster relief aid -- but no money for Ukraine.... The maneuver House Republicans were using -- which requires a two-third majority for passage -- would require a significant bloc of Democrats, who have strongly supported sending additional aid to Ukraine, to join with Republicans. The strategy was a final effort by [Speaker Kevin] McCarthy to show that Republicans were making an effort to keep the government open, just hours away from a shutdown. But Democrats, frustrated at being asked to support a speedily written measure they had not had a chance to read, were using parliamentary tactics to slow down the vote, and most had yet to state a position." MB: Leaving out Ukraine funding indicates My Kevin is still playing games. ~~~
~~~ Update @ about 4:10 pm ET: "In a stunning turnabout, the House on Saturday approved a stopgap plan to avert a government shutdown that was less than 12 hours away as a coalition of Republicans and Democrats backed a last-ditch proposal hastily put forward by Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The measure, which the Senate is expected to vote on this evening, would keep money flowing to government agencies through mid-November and provide billions of dollars for disaster recovery efforts. But it did not include money for Ukraine, a major sticking point for Democrats in the House and Senate. In the end, however, the Democrats supported the bill."~~~
~~~ Update @ about 6:55 pm ET: "Senate consideration of the stopgap bill that was passed by the House is being delayed by Senator Michael Bennet, Democrat of Colorado, his colleagues say. Bennet reportedly wants a promise of quick consideration of aid to Ukraine. Senators say the leadership is working on a written commitment. But a long delay could trigger a shutdown if the Senate doesn't act by midnight."
~~~ Here's CNN's liveblog. At about 12:15 pm ET: "House Democrats are not going to vote on the GOP's proposed 45-day short-term spending bill right away. They are trying to buy time to read the bill and figure out a game plan.... [AND] White House officials are currently consulting with House Democrats on the 45-day short-term spending bill that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has proposed...." ~~~
~~~ Update @ about 4:10 pm ET: "House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated the passing of the House stopgap spending bill that could avert a government shutdown hours before the deadline.... The bill must now pass the Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats." ~~~
~~~ Update @ about 6:35 pm ET: "Senate leaders are trying to resolve an objection from Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado to reach a final vote tonight on a stopgap bill to keep the government open, according to two sources. Scheduling a vote requires consent of all 100 members."
** Maureen Dowd of the New York Times remembers Dianne Feinstein.
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Kayla Tausche, et al., of CNN: "President Joe Biden is expected to convene his Cabinet early next week to discuss continuity of government after a potential shutdown begins Sunday, four administration officials familiar with the plans told CNN. The meeting will be in person at the White House, one of the sources said. Biden will stay in Washington, DC, over the weekend and keep in close touch with his legislative affairs team, getting updates on any shutdown negotiations on Capitol Hill. He has no public events on his schedule Saturday, in the final hours before the government runs out of money, or Sunday."
John Harwood in ProPublica: "President Joe Biden said in an interview on Friday that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had made a 'terrible bargain' and that 'in order to keep the speakership, he's willing to do things that he, I think, he knows are inconsistent with the constitutional processes.' Asked about the looming government shutdown, and the impeachment inquiry that McCarthy agreed to authorize in the hopes of keeping right-wing Republicans from ousting him from his post as speaker, Biden criticized the role of a 'group of MAGA Republicans who genuinely want to have a fundamental change in the way that the system works. And that's what worries me the most.' He marveled that ... Donald Trump had described himself in a recent speech as 'retribution' on behalf of his supporters, and that Republicans 'seem to be encouraging it.' The comments came as part of a wide-ranging interview with ProPublica contributor John Harwood that will be published Sunday morning. In it, Biden discussed everything from what he portrayed as looming threats to democracy, including his views of the roles played by Fox News and Elon Musk, to his concerns about the need for ethics reform on the Supreme Court."
Seung Min Kim, et al., of the AP: In Arizona Thursday, President Biden said that 'there is no question that today's Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA extremists.' He pointed to [Donald] Trump's recent suggestion that Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is stepping down from his post on Friday, should be executed for allegedly treasonous betrayal of him. 'Although I don't believe even a majority of Republicans think that, the silence is deafening,' Biden added. He also noted that Trump has previously questioned those who serve in the U.S. military calling 'service members suckers and losers. Was John [McCain] a sucker?' Biden asked...." Also linked yesterday.) More on President Biden's remarks in Arizona linked yesterday. ~~~
~~~ Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff of the Washington Post: "Gen. Mark A. Milley, the Joint Chiefs chairman who clashed with ... Donald Trump but found new footing under President Biden, reiterated in his retirement speech Friday that the U.S. military is loyal to the Constitution above anything or anyone else. 'We don't take an oath to a king, or a queen, to a tyrant or dictator or wannabe dictator,' Milley said in an apparent reference to Trump. He added that troops did not risk their lives to watch 'this great experiment in democracy perish.' Milley stepped aside Friday as his successor, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., was sworn in to the top military post in front of military personnel at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia on a day filled with ceremonial traditions."
Catie Edmonson, et al., of the New York Times: "Hard-line conservatives on Friday tanked Speaker Kevin McCarthy's long-shot bid to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown, in an extraordinary display of defiance that made it clear that Congress would almost certainly miss a midnight deadline on Saturday to keep federal funding flowing.... And the measure -- which would slash spending and impose severe immigration restrictions -- never had a chance of preventing a shutdown, since it was regarded as a nonstarter in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But Mr. McCarthy, bracing for political blowback for a government closure, had scheduled it anyway in hopes of showing he was trying to avoid the crisis. And the decision by right-wing lawmakers to effectively blow up his one final effort to seize some political leverage in the shutdown fight dealt the speaker a stinging defeat while leaving politically vulnerable Republicans fuming." The Hill's story, also linked yesterday, is here.
Christina Wilkie & Emma Kinnery of CNBC: "House Republican leaders Friday canceled a planned two-week recess as a government shutdown appeared more likely after they failed to pass a short-term spending bill with fewer than two days left to avoid the shutdown. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, informed the GOP caucus of the canceled break at a closed-door meeting after more than 20 Republicans embarrassed him by voting with Democrats to defeat the bill." MB: So sorry they have to work over the weekend. But at least they're paying themselves, even if they're stiffing most federal employees and contract workers.
Marie: Earlier this week, I linked to a report that said national parks would probably stay open during the latest GOP shutdown but not provide facilities like, say, restrooms. That has changed: ~~~
~~~ Beware of the Bears! Andrea Sachs & Sofia Andrade of the Washington Post: "The majority of national parks will close to the public if lawmakers are unable to reach a deal on government spending ahead of a deadline at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, the Interior Department announced Friday. The National Park Service oversees 425 sites, and each one will be affected under Interior's contingency plan. Parks with admission gates or fee booths, such as Acadia National Park and Shenandoah National Park, will be locked up. Attractions with open entry points, such as the Great Smoky Mountains and the National Mall, will be accessible but with minimal to no services. Visitor centers and restrooms will be shuttered, and educational programs will be suspended. Trash will not always be collected. Information on road or trail conditions will not be updated, and park websites and social media accounts will go dormant. Nearly 13,000 employees could be furloughed, representing 68 percent of the agency's workforce. That includes the staff members monitoring the brown bears featured in Alaska's Fat Bear Week contest."
Who Knew Matt Gaetz Was so Bipartisany (Even as He [Falsely] Denies It)? Olivia Beavers, et al., of Politico: "Matt Gaetz is privately courting some House Democrats to help him oust Kevin McCarthy from the speakership. The Florida Republican, who is threatening to force a vote on booting McCarthy if he works with Democrats to avoid a shutdown, approached multiple Democrats on the floor late Thursday night to discuss how they would vote on a possible vote of no confidence against McCarthy. Among the Democrats he spoke to: Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).... Gaetz denied talking to Democrats about such an effort.... [One] Republican expressed the hope that the House Ethics Committee's investigation into Gaetz will end with a finding that can allow his party to 'kick his ass back to Florida.'"
Marie: Yesterday I linked to a piece by Mona Charen of the Bulwark who argued that fear of Trump was driving most Republican members of Congress to embrace him. Then contributor RAS provided this excellent proof of Charen's point. (I'll admit that in many cases, Republican's reactions to Rep. Greg Casar's [D-Texas] challenge here are nothing but dimwitted tribalism, but I'm sure some of them are fearful for their careers, if not their families' lives):
Question: Are Hunter and Trump both subject to the law?
— Congressman Greg Casar (@RepCasar) September 28, 2023
Democrats: 👍
Republicans: 😬 pic.twitter.com/b6HPyTpqrO
Marie: Yeah, that's the story here. But how is the disastrous hearing playing on Fox? ~~~
~~~ Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "By most objective accounts, [the House Oversight Committee's opening impeachment hearing] was not a huge success for the GOP, featuring witnesses who by their own admission couldn't provide any evidence incriminating [President] Biden and who were loath to state that such evidence existed.... [Yet Fox 'News' viewers would conclude] the hearing was just dandy. Anyone tuning in to Sean Hannity's prime time Fox News program, for example, learned that Republicans executed a precision strike on the sitting president, offering up evidence that only a buffoon or a hack could deny. This presentation was made easier by Hannity's playing host to the three Republicans leading the impeachment push -- each of whom offered false, baseless or debunked claims to which the Fox News host offered absolutely no pushback." Read on. The chairmen's assertions were bald-faced lies and misdirection. "But what else can we do but sit here outside of it," Bump asks,"attempting to convey reality like we're dropping leaflets into North Korea?"
Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Senator Dianne Feinstein, the trailblazing Democratic power broker who served in the Senate for 30 years, died on Thursday night, according to a family member." Update: The page has been converted to a liveblog of reactions to Sen. Feinstein's death. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Sen. Feinstein's New York Times obituary is here. NBC News' obituary is here; thanks to Forrest M. for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ President Biden's statement is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
Sahil Kapur & Frank Thorp of NBC News: "Top Republican senators said Friday they won't try to prevent Democrats from replacing the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., on the Judiciary Committee after the vacancy left Democrats without a majority on the key panel. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told NBC News that 'there's no doubt in my mind' Democrats will be able to fill her spot on the panel once there is a successor appointed to her Senate seat. Feinstein's death means the key panel that processes President Joe Biden's judicial nominees is now split evenly, 10 to 10, between Democrats and Republicans. A tie vote means a nominee fails to advance out of committee...." (Also linked yesterday.)
Maeve Reston & Tyler Pager of the Washington Post: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death cast an immediate spotlight Friday on California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is navigating a politically fraught decision with far-reaching implications both for his state and his future as he considers who[m] to appoint as her replacement. The Democratic governor plans to appoint a Black woman to the seat -- hewing to the promise he made in 2021 after he replaced then-Sen. Kamala D. Harris with Alex Padilla, who became the state's first Latino senator. But with no Black women in the U.S. Senate, Newsom has angered some liberal voters and activists by stating before Feinstein died that his choice will be an 'interim appointment,' which was interpreted by many as naming someone as a placeholder through January 2025 when Feinstein was slated to retire. A swift decision could help circumvent the intense lobbying effort that is already building among some on the left to convince Newsom to dispense with any reelection conditions and choose Rep. Barbara Lee, a Black woman who is running for the seat in 2024. The Oakland Democrat and her competitors, fellow Democratic Reps. Adam B. Schiff and Katie Porter, all declined Friday to comment on the political machinations in deference to Feinstein's passing." Politico's story is here.
Michael Crowley & Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "Before stepping aside as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after his indictment on federal corruption charges last week, [Sen. Robert] Menendez [D-N.J.] routinely opposed and even criticized President Biden -- and the previous Democrat in the White House, Barack Obama -- on foreign policy issues.... His replacement as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin, Democrat of Maryland, has been vague about his plans but is closer personally to Mr. Biden and likely to be more accommodating of his agenda.... '[Menendez] has used the chairmanship of that committee as a venue for intimidation and retribution to raise the cost of doing anything he doesn't like,' said [Benjamin] Rhodes, [a deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration,] pointing to the control Mr. Menendez has had over whether and when presidential nominees for diplomatic posts would receive hearings in his committee."
Trump Crime Family Trials
Josh Gerstein, et al., of Politico: "... Donald Trump plans to show up in person for at least the first week of a civil trial set to open in New York on Monday in which he and his business empire are accused of persistent fraud, according to court filings. Trump's plan, disclosed by his lawyers in a separate case, sets up the potential of a tense showdown with Justice Arthur Engoron, the Manhattan judge who is overseeing New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit aimed at dismantling Trump's businesses. Trump has repeatedly insulted Engoron on social media. 'I have a Deranged, Trump Hating Judge, who RAILROADED this FAKE CASE through a NYS Court at a speed never before seen,' Trump wrote in recent days on his social media platform." MB: Maybe he wants to stay in his 33,000 sq. ft. 11,000 sq. ft. Trump Tower penthouse for the last time before a receiver takes control of it.
Wherein contributor Forrest M. discovers that you can prove a negative (well, in a manner of speaking): ~~~
No other criminal defendant would be permitted to issue public statements insinuating that a known witness in his case should be executed. This defendant should not be, either. -- Prosecutor Molly Gaston, in a court filing ~~~
~~~ Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors on Friday reasserted the need to impose a gag order on ... Donald J. Trump in the case accusing him of seeking to overturn the 2020 election. They said that even after they first asked a judge three weeks ago to limit his remarks, Mr. Trump has continued to wage 'a sustained campaign of prejudicial public statements' against witnesses, prosecutors and others. The prosecutors cited several threatening statements that Mr. Trump made since they initially asked Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who is overseeing the election interference case in Federal District Court in Washington, to impose the gag order.... Prosecutors said in their filing on Friday night, Mr. Trump has continued to attack potential witnesses in the case like former Vice President Mike Pence -- who, Mr. Trump wrote online, had lied about him and had gone to the 'Dark Side.'... Moreover, prosecutors cited a menacing message that Mr. Trump posted on his social media site last week about Gen. Mark A. Milley..., suggest[ing] that [Milley] had committed treason and that in the past he might have faced execution....
"In their filing, the prosecutors ... [said] Mr. Trump may have violated the terms of his release in the election interference case by suggesting that he might have purchased a firearm on Monday during a campaign stop at a gun store in Summerville, S.C. That day, prosecutors noted, Mr. Trump's spokesman posted a video online of the former president handling a Glock pistol at the store. The spokesman said in the post that Mr. Trump had purchased it, but aides quickly denied that he had actually done so. In the government's filing, Ms. Gaston said Mr. Trump had 'either purchased a gun in violation of the law and his conditions of release or seeks to benefit from his supporters' mistaken belief that he did so.'" Politico's report is here. The Hill's report is here.
** First Flip. And Then There Were 18. Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "One of the 19 defendants in a Georgia racketeering case against ... Donald J. Trump and his allies pleaded guilty on Friday to five misdemeanor charges, under a deal with prosecutors in which he would receive five years of probation. The guilty plea of Scott Hall, 59, a Georgia bail bondsman, was a significant victory for Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, who secured an agreement from Mr. Hall to testify against other defendants.... Appearing in a Fulton County courtroom on Friday afternoon, Mr. Hall ... pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of intentional interference with performance of election duties. Under the terms of the deal, Mr. Hall is to pay a $5,000 fine, surrender his firearms carry license, perform 200 hours of community service and write a letter of apology to the people of Georgia. He is not to participate in any activities related to the administration of elections, and he agreed to testify truthfully in all further proceedings in the case." The NBC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "A federal judge on Friday denied a request from Jeffrey Clark, the former Trump justice department official, to transfer from state to federal court his criminal case for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, saying he had failed to prove he had been acting within the scope of his official duties. The ruling from the US district judge Steven Jones, which came a day after Donald Trump decided against making a similar request, means Clark will be tried in Fulton county superior court -- with its mainly Democratic jury pool -- unless the ruling is overturned by the 11th circuit appeals court." The article cites Jones' reasons for rejecting Clark's specific arguments. (Also linked yesterday.)
Glenn Thrush & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "A contractor for the Internal Revenue Service has been charged with leaking tax return information from a senior government official and wealthy taxpayers to two news organizations, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Washington on Friday. Charles Edward Littlejohn, who worked as a contractor for the tax agency from 2017 to 2021, was accused of stealing tax returns and other information of a 'Public Official A and thousands of the nation's wealthiest people,' according to a three-page indictment signed by prosecutors with the Justice Department's public integrity division. The indictment did not name the official, the other taxpayers or the news organizations. The public official is ... Donald J. Trump, and the two outlets identified in the indictment as 'News Organization 1' and 'News Organization 2' are The New York Times and ProPublica, according to a person familiar with the situation.... 'Both news organizations published numerous articles describing the tax information they obtained from the defendant,' the indictment added." CNN's story is here.
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Reader Comments (4)
Here's proof positive that trump was responsible for the Jan 6
insurrection:
https://democraticunderground.com/100218313893
In the aftermath of My Kevins 15 round very lightweight bout for the gavel, I seem to remember several folks commenting that giving so much power to so few people was a mistake that was not going to end well. And it was so.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/30/government-shutdown-updates/
Passing the gavel, er, at least the buck..
Speaking of passing the gavel. Kevin once said that when Nancy handed it over, it "would be hard not to hit her with it".
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/01/politics/kevin-mccarthy-nancy-pelosi-gavel/index.html
I thought Nancy missed a great opportunity. She should have dipped the handle into a jar of Vaseline and said: "OK Kevin, turn around and bend over, I'll let you have it."