Mastodawn

Trump & Epstein: Biz partners.Nov 2

@asiny
In order to impress upon people just how #evil #SaddamHussein was in making their case for #war, the #Dubya Administration would tell us how #Saddam & his amoral brat sons (Uday & Kusay) lived in a palace surrounded by exorbitant wealth while the #Iraqi people starved ("They'll welcome us with flowers!")

When does #Iraq return the favor? 🙏

cricket_bacon Nov 2

While your comparison is thought provoking, only five Democratic Senators were needed to pass the Continuing Resolution and avoid the shutdown.

While I was in Baghdad back in April 2003, I don't remember any Iraqi protests to bring Saddam back to power. Do you? I might have missed it.

@cricket_bacon @asiny
Incorrect. All Senate #Republicans need to do is (temporarily) suspend the filibuster and they could end their #Shutdown with a simple majority.

But that is not the point.

The point is that we have a multi-billionaire power-mad #WannabeDictator in the White House building a palatial #Ballroom and a bragging of a fancy Bathroom, while his own Party refuses to renew #SNAP benefits to 20 million Americans living in poverty. 👈

"Incorrect."

You'll have to explain how 60 Senators voting to pass the continuing resolution would not have ended the shutdown?

@cricket_bacon @asiny
<sigh> You don't need 60 senators if Senate #Republicans voted to suspend the filibuster.

And they can do that with a simple majority.

And you don't need to suspend the filibuster if 60 senators had voted to pass the continuing resolution.

@cricket_bacon @asiny
🙄 No kidding.

#Republicans COULD (if they really wanted to) side-step the filibuster and end the #Shutdown today.

But they won't.

cricket_bacon

... and just five Democrats could have prevented a shutdown in the first place.

The norm in the past has been to pass a continuing resolution. Obviously not how Congress should be doing business, but that has been the norm.

Continuing resolutions simply fund the government as it had been previously funded.

Additional budget disputes could be resolved after the resolution was passed or through the ballot box.

There is no need for the current shutdown.

@cricket_bacon @asiny
#ACA's tax credits expire on Jan 1st. But the rates were set before Nov 1st.

#Republicans refuse to renew those tax credits, meaning the premiums for more than 20M low income Americans will double (or even triple.)

Republicans are defending their refusal by falsely claiming Dems want to give "free healthcare to 'illegals'."

Non-citzens are ineligible.

So, yeah, you're correct that #Democrats could have tossed their constituents under the bus to prevent the #Shutdown.

I think some of your displeasure might be directed at those who crafted the temporary tax credits to support ACA premiums as a response to the economic problems generated by COVID. Those who created these tax credits made an expiration date for them rather than seeking to better reform the overall ACA legislation and program.

Now all Americans need to be tossed under the bus for that mistake?

Seems like a shortsighted response.

@cricket_bacon @asiny
I never argued the point of needing tax credits in the first place, but the fact they had an Expiration Date at is b/c the #GOP otherwise would never pass them.

But the subject here is the #Shutdown and who is responsible for prolonging it. That fault lies squarely with #Republicans.

They can either suspend the filibuster and reconcile the budget themselves, or they can agree to protect the tax credits from #OrangeJuliusCaesar.

"the fact they had an Expiration Date at is b/c the GOP otherwise would never pass them."

Could it be that the tax credits were there because of the COVID crisis? And that's why those credits were passed in the first place?

@cricket_bacon @asiny
Yes. The credits were passed during #Covid.

But since when have #Republicans been opposed to tax credits?

The late Joe Liebermann is to blame for this whole mess. 😒

"The credits were passed during Covid."

The credits were passed in response to COVID. Created, voted for, and implemented as a solution to a temporary problem... that we have now passed.

As for why premiums are going to skyrocket... that involves a list of issues. Issues that we need our Congress to address. Issues that Democrats could run on in the midterms. Issues that can be fixed if we put in politicians willing to work for the people instead of special interest.