Outside the Beltway

Some notes on House process and how it relates to recent and ongoing political news.

Newly-Sworn-in-Rep. Grijalva provides the final signature.

Some questions to consider as you evaluate congressional leadership.

Why blaming “the Democrats” or even “leadership” ignores a basic fact of American politics.

What the shutdown should have been about.

Majorities gonna majority.

Where’s the positive example?

Things will get radically worse if the shutdown doesn’t end soon.

The octogenarian Speaker Emerita will not seek re-election.

The standoff is in its 35th day.

He’s making a major admission.

It’s not an unprecedented stance.

The light at the end of the tunnel is a train.

The Pentagon’s couch cushions are huuuuge.

Upcoming milestones that could force a deal.

Next up: our armed forces.

It’s huuuuge.

Power is apparently very important.

The SOUTHCOM commander has resigned and the Senate is debating, but it won’t matter.

Some limits on Democratic pushback

Congress, Schmongress.

A dramatic escalation of the standoff.

Passing a budget the President can ignore creates a dilemma.

Democratic leadership still keeps playing normal politics in times that are anything but.

Here we go again.

SCOTUS continues to favor the executive over the legislature.

Things are not operating as Madison intended.

Spinelessness isn’t permanent.

A major unforced error has apparently been reversed.

An odd, impactful ruling.

They may whine and bluster, but Trump always gets their votes.

They’re talking a big game now, but they’ll likely bend a knee. Again.

Have I ever noted the Congress is less responsive to the public than it should be?

Senate Republicans are balking at several measures, but fixing those would make passage in the House impossible.

For all practical purposes, the Constitutional war powers have been stood on their head.

No. But it won’t matter.

The GOP budget bill.

A 20% reduction would require massive changes in law and approach.

Public misconceptions about federal waste invite tolerance for questionable workarounds to the constitutionally prescribed manner of determining appropriations.

There may be no exit.

The Trump administration treats personally disfavored American institutions the way past administrations treated foreign adversaries. His goal is political submission.

He filibustered nothing for a very long time.

We are at least on the precipice.

They don’t want to give Trump what he wants, so they’re giving him what he wants.

Democrats are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

Salting the earth and breaking the law.