Crossing the Rubicon: Declaring National Emergency

[John Galt]

[Saz]

[Philly]

Well, you mention that Congress can't get anything done even when dominated by a single party, but then you argue that their big failure is in their inability to pass legislation with veto-proof majorities. Of course, Congress has not, any time recently, actually been dominated by one party to the point of one party constituting a veto-proof majority. If your argument is that the legislative branch's failure is that the haven't united across party lines to exercise control of government with supermajorities that sideline the executive, then it is true that no such cohesion has been achieved in Congress. But then the point about single party dominance seems irrelevant, and neither party has, by itself, had enough votes to override vetoes any time in recent history. There is a lot of condemnation of Congressional Republicans these days for not putting party aside and forming a common cause with the Democrats to take power from the hands of our manchild POTUS. It would be a very unusual thing if they did in fact do that, and could only even be imagined due to the sheer incompetence and unfitness of the President. I can follow any of these strands and it at least makes sense to me. But when you conclude, then, that we need a stronger executive rather than a more assertive Congress, you lose me.

It seems your argument is "Congress is currently weak, stupid, and ineffective, so we should just accept that it will always be this way" but then also "Even though the current President is terrifyingly stupid, childish, impulsive, ignorant, and suffers from dementia, we should keep giving the executive more power because in theory this could result in good leadership."

[Saz]

[JockandBallTorture]

[Philly]

[Spider]

Speaking of Rubicon crossings...where exactly is the Republicans' line on the shutdown before McConnell is willing to actually let the Senate function, and before they are willing to override the White House?

Already the Coast Guard is unfunded and working for free. I'm hearing that they'll actually not have fuel for their ships and aircraft in reserve if this goes on for long. The IRS is in limp mode already, despite this being tax season. The National Parks are already turning into literal garbage heaps. And, maybe most alarmingly, food benefits and soon after housing benefits are going to dry up...leaving millions of people hungry and homeless if there is no resolution. And frankly, we might get riots and looting if the SNAP and HUD goes away. It's going to look like f**k Paris up in here if this goes down.

So...how bad does it have to get before McConnell calls up trump and lets him know he either opens the government, or he's getting overridden by his own party? Where is the point that even the GOP can't stomach this any longer?

[JockandBallTorture]

[Spider]

[John Galt]

states have their own IRS equivalent. well, most do, some states have no income tax so they don't need it. they also have state parks, and their police have boats where needed