Breaking: Shutdown to end as Senators reach late-night deal - Brian Tyler Cohen

[TexasTowelie]

Transcript:

Tonight, eight Senate Democrats have
joined the Republicans in voting for a
deal that will reopen the government.
The deal funds the government until
January, reverses the firings that took
place during the shutdown, funds SNAP,
and guarantees a vote in December on the
ACA, meaning this is very much a stop
gap solution that at a bare minimum
ensures 42 million Americans get food
who need it. I have a lot of thoughts
about this deal. First off, let's take
into account the fact that Democrats
just won everything on Tuesday's
election. An election where the majority
of Americans blamed Donald Trump for the
shutdown, including independents blaming
Trump by a 2 to1 margin. Trump himself
conceded that the losses were the result
of the shutdown when he posted, quote,
"Trump wasn't on the ballot and shutdown
were the two reasons that Republicans
lost elections tonight." In other words,
Democrats had political cover. The
American people blamed the Republicans
for the shutdown. Republicans, including
Trump, knew that the shutdown was their
fault. And Americans voted
overwhelmingly across the country for
Democrats amid that Republicanled
shutdown. And against the backdrop of
all of that, Democrats decided that what
they needed to do was cave to the
Republicans and reopen the government. I
don't think you have to be a political
mastermind to understand why many of us
are perplexed. Second, Democrats claimed
that they were taking on this fight
because they wanted to protect the ACA
and prevent health care costs for 24
million Americans from doubling,
tripling, quadrupling, or more. They
didn't get a deal, meaning they caved on
their principal objective. Yes, there's
going to be a vote on the ACA in
December, but that's just a vote. It
needs 60 votes in the Senate to pass.
That means that 13 Republicans have to
vote for it. That's not going to happen.
Meaning whereas Democrats could have
gotten a guarantee to fund the ACA by
using this as leverage, they just got a
doomed vote to fund the ACA later.
That's a loss. Third, this hurts
Democrats in future negotiations. If
you're a Republican and you just watched
Democrats cave on their principal
objective, are you that worried that the
next time they demand something after a
little bit of time, they're not just
going to relent on that, too? The
Democrats just showed Republicans that
they are not willing to go to the mat in
any future negotiations. Let's not
pretend that the GOP is going to forget
that. Fourth, think about the message
you just sent to the Democratic base. A
base that thought that maybe, just
maybe, this time would be different.
Maybe a party plagued by accusations of
being weak and feckless and impotent has
finally learned their lesson and learned
how to fight. And yet now here we are
capitulating while the wind was at our
backs. What lesson do you think that
tells a Democratic base as we head
toward midterms? How do you expect to
raise enthusiasm when in the one
instance you had to use some leverage
and take a virtuous and popular stand to
protect healthcare, an issue that 80% of
Americans agree with you on, you decide
to cave. We need to get people excited
about what a Democratic party can do.
This move accomplishes the polar
opposite. Now, with all of that said, in
fairness, it's not all bad. The
government employee firings called
reductions in force have been reversed.
SNAP is funded and 42 million Americans
won't go hungry. Let's not pretend that
that is not a massive win. There will be
an ACA vote in December, which means
that the Republicans will at least have
to go on record voting to allow
healthcare premiums to surge or not. And
if they do vote against it, which they
likely will, then they're going to own
the fallout if and when those prices
skyrocket. The House is also going to be
in session now, which means that Adalita
Grahalva is going to be sworn in and
she'll serve as the 218th vote on the
discharge petition to force a vote on
the Epstein files. The Republicans will
have to go on record for that vote as
well. But the biggest silver lining is
that we have an opportunity to look at
what the Democratic candidates running
for office in 2026 are saying, and it
represents a much different party than
the one we have right now. It represents
people who know how to fight and are
willing to use any tools at their
disposal to do it. The reality is that
we're not going to fix the Democrats
brand by these officials doing Tik Toks
or launching podcasts in their offices.
Although I will concede that it is
certainly good that Democrats are
embracing independent media. They need
to do that. But the brand is a direct
reflection on the strength of our
elected officials. If we want to purge
our weak branding, we have to purge weak
Democrats. I'm looking forward to a
robust primary cycle and ushering in a
new era of Democrats who actually know
how to fight. And here's what a few of
those Democrats are saying right now.
Michigan's Mallerie McMorro said, "This
is a bad deal and the old way of doing
things is clearly not working."
Michigan's Abdul El Sayed said, "A
promise is only as good as the trust you
have in the folks making the promise or
the leverage they have to break it."
After all this, are folks really about
to give up their leverage against MAGA
senators we know we can't trust? Maine's
Graham Platner said, "Senate Democrats
need to hold the line." No healthcare,
no deal. Mayers want a Democratic party
that fights for them, not one that rolls
over. Maine's Janet Mills said, "Tens of
thousands of Maine people are facing
skyrocketing health care costs because
of Donald Trump and Susan Collins. Maine
people deserve affordable health care,
not just the promise of a vote that
won't go anywhere. Fight back." Texas's
James Tarico said, "This moment demands
fighters, not folders." Texas's Colin
Allred said, "This deal is a joke that
sells out working people in their
healthcare. If we don't stand our ground
for our people, then who will?"
Minnesota's Angie Craig wrote, "If
people believe this is a deal, I have a
bridge to sell you. I'm not going to put
24 million Americans at risk of losing
their healthcare, I'm a no." Minnesota's
Peggy Flanigan wrote, "Any deal that
relies on Republicans to keep their word
is a bad one." Democrats can't give up
on affordable healthcare for an empty
promise. Motans can't afford for
Democrats to cave. Illinois's Juliana
Stratton wrote, "I've said it since the
start of this shutdown. Republicans do
not negotiate in good faith, and any
deal that fails to protect healthcare is
not a deal at all." Ohio Sherid Brown
wrote, "Half a million Ohioans are
facing monthly premiums that are double
or triple what they were paying. This is
a bad deal for Ohioans. It does nothing
to help the out-of-crol costs people are
facing. We can't allow healthcare costs
to skyrocket and not be willing to
fight." Iowa's Josh Turk wrote,
"Healthcare is worth fighting for. No
protection for health care, no deal."
Iowa Zach Walls wrote, "Senator Schumer
has failed to lead this party in one of
the most critical moments, and Americans
will pay the price. It's time for him to
step down from leadership and make way
for a new generation willing to fight
for the people instead of the powerful.
And the list goes on and on. And I know
that this moment feels depressing
because we have a lot of old guard
Democrats who cannot take a win when
it's staring them in the face. But the
future of this party offers a case for
optimism. The answer then is not to
check out. Remember, it wasn't the
entire Democratic caucus who did this.
It was eight centrist Democrats. Tim
Kaine, Gene Shaheen, John Federman, Dick
Durban, Angus King, Jackie Rosen,
Katherine Cortez Masto, and Maggie
Maggie Hassan. The rest have spoken out
against this deal. So do not disengage.
Fight for something better. And
recognize that all of those candidates
represent a better future for this
party. One that understands the moment
we're in and will actually fight to get
it.

[Lovie777]

1. Has Mike Johnson called back the House?.................

as of this date and time, no.