I wrote in this newsletter last Monday that \u201cSenate Democrats have made it clear they will not vote for the continuing resolution unless the Republicans agreed to extend permanently the premium tax credits that support the Affordable Care Act markets.\u201d But then they capitulated.<\/p>\n
Well, seven of them did, six Democrats and one independent, none of whom are up for reelection next year (two are retiring, three won\u2019t be up for election until 2028, and the other two not until 2030). They all said, one way or the other, that they capitulated to stop the pain that is being cast upon millions of innocent, helpless, needy, hungry people, and that\u2019s understandable.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s a Senate capitulation nonetheless, so we suddenly live in a whole new world. It\u2019s a darker world than it was yesterday, to be sure, but there is sunlight. First, though, the dark side:<\/p>\n
As spelled out by Robert Hubbell in his \u201cToday\u2019s Edition\u201d newsletter, that there are three major parts of the deal, and the Democrats got nothing in return for their surrender.<\/p>\n
The first part promises a future vote in the Senate on a Democratic bill to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies. But that vote is certain to fail in the Senate and therefore it will not be taken up in the House. The Democrats got nothing.<\/p>\n
The second part \u201cguarantees that federal employees laid off during the shutdown will be re-hired and gives federal employees backpay.\u201d Federal law already guarantees that, and the administration\u2019s attempts to change it are being challenged successfully in court., so again Democrats got nothing.<\/p>\n
The third part is a promise that the continuing resolution will include bills to support the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA, Veterans Affairs and congressional operations. But those three bills are part of a 12-bill package that the Senate is required to pass to enact the 2026 budget. Republicans could have passed those three bills at any time, but they withheld them to pressure Democrats to cave. It worked, so once again Democrats got nothing.<\/p>\n
The Senate was our last hope in Washington to stop Donald Trump\u2019s march to locking in his dictatorship, and because it failed he now controls all three branches of government. He already owned the House of Representatives — he has called himself \u201cthe Speaker of the House,\u201d and the behavior of Mike Johnson, the official speaker, shows it\u2019s true. Trump also seems to own the Supreme Court, and his control of the Executive Branch is so strong that he even owns such constitutionally independent agencies as the Department of Justice, among others. Toss in his constitutional command of the U.S. Armed Services, and his kingship is nearly complete.<\/p>\n