All posts tagged "Government Shutdown"

Senate Republicans are dreading the possibility of handing Democrats an opportunity to force a shutdown before the midterms, per Axios.

According to an article by Axios, "anxious" GOP senators are already raising fears that Democrats will force another shutdown this fall, ahead of the November midterms. The situation is also complicated by the absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who is on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"[Senate] Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has stressed the need to ensure the Senate is not trapped in another funding emergency right before the election," Axios reported, adding that some Republicans are even considering a short-term continuing resolution to carry the government through the midterms....

Republicans on vacation amid the government shutdown were mocked Friday online for posting videos and photos of themselves shooting guns on their social media to apparently try to distract voters.

Rep. John James (R-MI) was reportedly vacationing in Turks and Caicos. TMZ caught wind of it and shared photos of the GOP lawmaker's getaway on Thursday — its most recent reporting on lawmakers fleeing the U.S. while government workers go unpaid.

In response, James posted a video of himself "unloading hand guns and assault rifles on targets and knocking out some pullups. Y'know? Super alpha male stuff," the outlet reported. ...

President Donald Trump thanked Republican congressional leaders for standing down on the funding bill that would have ended the partial government shutdown — instead moving away from the bipartisan legislation and extending the ongoing stalemate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune had agreed on Wednesday to move forward with the bill but had reversed their decision by early Thursday. Now, Republicans have rejected the Senate’s bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, according to The New York Times.

He wrote the following on his Truth Social platform: ...

MAGA lawmakers and loyalists fumed Wednesday after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) caved in a standoff to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Johnson sided with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) in a joint statement, signaling that the partial government shutdown could be over, and agreeing to pass the bipartisan Senate funding bill that reopens the agency without Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol funding.

On social media, plenty of MAGA devotees pushed back on the news. And some weren't convinced that the move would happen. ...

TMZ caught 30 members of Congress touring Scotland courtesy of taxpayer funding amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.

The large group was captured on camera at Edinburgh Castle, a major tourist location, all while government workers have gone unpaid, according to a report on Wednesday. The image featured Rep. John McGuire (R-VA), Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) all taking a guided tour at the historic location.

"Congress is not supposed to take taxpayer-funded trips like this during a government shutdown — or so we thought — but it sounds like they're getting around it because this is a partial shutdown. The way we see it, a shutdown is a shutdown," TMZ reported. ...

TMZ tracked down Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Tuesday traveling to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the latest politician traveling and enjoying spring break as the government shutdown hits its seventh week.

The outlet has been reporting on lawmakers who have fled Washington, D.C. while tens of thousands of federal workers have gone unpaid.

Cruz was the latest lawmaker spotted on vacation, and TMZ called him out for "hopscotching around the country" after his CPAC appearance — and his previous exits amid crises, including the time in 2021 when he left Texas during a deadly winter storm that led to power outages and water shortages in his state. ...