Senators look for a shutdown off-ramp

Also in today’s edition of “Regular Order” for October 2, 2025:

The shutdown won’t end today.

White House targets spending for Blue States.

Madison Cawthorn tries for a comeback.

CAPITOL HILL.

I haven’t changed my opinion. Shutdowns are stupid. Shutdowns are dumb. This is just another one on that list. How long will this shutdown last? It certainly won’t be over before Friday - as nothing will likely happen today.

LOOKING FOR A DEAL.

The first day of the 2025 government shutdown brought a lot more finger pointing on Capitol Hill. But we also saw evidence of Senators trying to solve the shutdown on their own. Will it work? Who knows. But it felt good to see Senators in both parties trying to figure out a way forward.

SENATE FLOOR.

The ray of hope came as Democrats in the Senate used the filibuster to block action on a temporary funding bill for a third time. During that vote, an extended bipartisan huddle developed on the Senate floor. This is what it looked like on the TV feed:

ROSTER.

Among the GOP Senators involved were Cornyn of Texas, Rounds of South Dakota, Tillis of North Carolina, and Britt of Alabama. In this photo, we can also see a series of Democrats: Rosen of Nevada, Peters of Michigan, Welch of Vermont, Durbin of Illinois, Blumenthal of Connecticut, Warnock of Georgia, and Alsobrooks of Maryland.

LET’S MAKE A DEAL.

Is there a sweet spot somewhere for a deal? There could be a way forward which would reopen the government - and then allow for negotiations on the broader issue of Obamacare subsidies.

TALKS.

“Republicans will work with Democrats on this issue, but not until we get government reopened again,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), who quickly emerged as one of the key GOP players in any rump talks.

HEALTH CARE.

But let’s be honest about this. There are a lot of Republicans - especially in the House - who want NO PART of any deal to extend the enhanced tax credits for people buying insurance in the Obamacare exchanges.

COST.

The Congressional Budget Office estimate is that extending the subsidies at their current level would cost $350 billion over 10 years. You really think Republicans want to vote for that? I don’t.

LOOKBACK.

Let’s also remember one thing about the ACA subsidies. Why are they expiring at the end of this year? Because the Democrats passed a bill - the Inflation Reduction Act - which only extended those credits for 3 years. Democrats could have made it permanent. But they didn’t.

DAY TWO.

Don’t look for anything to happen today on Capitol Hill. This is Yom Kippur, and while the Senate will be in session, no votes are scheduled. Senators will be back for votes on Friday - but it’s not clear if the dynamics on the shutdown will have changed by then.

CR.

Republicans continue to argue that the only sensible move right now is to reopen the government, and then talk about negotiations on other matters. “We have a path forward - it’s so easy,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). “It requires the Democrats to come to their senses.”

HEALTH.

Meanwhile, Democrats continue to demand major health care concessions from the GOP. “It is not a next year problem, it is a today problem,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

TIME.

I fully understand the argument from Democrats. But this is a complicated - and politically charged issue. It isn’t going to be solved in the next couple of days. Getting something done by Christmas would be a major accomplishment.

VOTE.

The latest Senate filibuster vote was the same on Wednesday, 55-45, short of the 60 votes needed to advance the 7-week funding bill passed by the House. Fetterman PA, Cortez Masto NV, and King I-ME again joined with Republicans in favor of action. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) again voted to filibuster.

SHUTDOWN CUTS.

The first day of the 2025 government shutdown did not feature any major job cuts as had been threatened by the Trump Administration. But the White House used Wednesday to announce plans to rollback previously approved spending, targeting infrastructure and clean energy projects in states led by Democrats. It felt like it was an effort to send a message.

NEW YORK CITY.

The White House first went after New York City, freezing $18 billion in infrastructure projects for the Big Apple. That money would fund a new railroad tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, and the Second Avenue subway line in Manhattan.

CATCH-22.

At first blush, that funding announcement didn’t seem to be related to the shutdown. But the feds say their review of those New York transit projects is on hold - because the federal staff needed to perform that investigation has been furloughed.

REVENGE.

Democrats denounced the move. “Donald Trump is once again treating working people as collateral damage in his endless campaign of chaos and revenge,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer in a joint statement.

GARDEN STATE.

Trump’s move immediately became an issue in New Jersey - because the Hudson tunnel project impacts Garden State commuters. “I will fight this tooth-and-nail and sue the Trump administration,” said Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who is in a tight race for Governor.

GREEN ENERGY.

Next on the White House chalkboard was holding back $8 billion in clean energy projects - from 16 states which are led by Democrats. “Terrific news,” said Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), as Republicans celebrated the announcement.

STATES.

The projects come from: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington State.

DEMS.

“The Trump Administration is using the government shutdown to cancel energy funding so that your utility bills go up,” added Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL).

BRING IT ON.

“If Democrats want to play politics and shut down the government, fine,” said Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD). “We’ll cut every woke program they have until they cave.”

BLAME GAME

. Democrats continued on Wednesday to argue that Republicans are at fault for the shutdown. I continue to stand by my assessment that if your party is leading a filibuster of a temporary funding plan, then your party is responsible for forcing a government shutdown.

COMMS.

The Trump Administration continued to send out official messages from government accounts which attacked Democrats over the shutdown. Federal workers - and those familiar with government - will instantly understand why a message like this one seems so crazy.

TWEET.

The Trump White House ‘Rapid Response’ team came after me on Wednesday, after I noted the ‘highly unusual’ and partisan tone of these official messages. “These are just facts,” Rapid Response 47 tweeted. “It’s factual,” chimed in the GOP arm of the House Judiciary Committee.

PARTISAN.

Yes, they are just facts. But the partisan tone is something we have not seen before in official communications. I had multiple federal workers contact me in recent days, clearly upset with what they were receiving and seeing.

HATCH ACT.

I’m not going to hold my breath and say that these messages are illegal, or that they violate the Hatch Act or some lobbying laws. But they do push the envelope when it comes to partisan messaging from the federal government.

SHUTDOWN TOURISM.

As usual, the government shutdown left a hodgepodge of impacts on the nation’s capital and the federal government writ large. “National parks remain as accessible as possible during the federal government shutdown,” the National Park Service said. “However, some services may be limited or unavailable.”

MUSEUMS.

Here in Washington, D.C., tourists were still enjoying the Smithsonian museums - but maybe not for long. “Our museums, research centers, and the National Zoo are open today, and will remain open through at least Monday, October 6,” the Smithsonian website stated.

FUNDING.

How are those museums staying open if money has been shut off? The Smithsonian says it is using ‘prior-year funds’ - leftover money in the budget - to pay for short-term operations.

TOUR GUIDE.

Pretty much the only way you can get a tour of the Capitol right now is if a member of Congress takes you in. That happened yesterday when a bus full of kids from the Bronx came to the Capitol - and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) gave the tour herself.

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK.

Ex-Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) is trying to return to the U.S. House - from another state. Cawthorn filed yesterday to run for Congress from Florida, seeking the seat being vacated by Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is running for Governor.

CARPETBAGGER.

Oddly enough, Cawthorn will have to run against another former lawmaker who has moved to Florida. Ex-Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) - who went to prison for insider trading and was pardoned by President Trump - is also in this GOP race.

RECENT.

A few weeks ago, Cawthorn was on Capitol Hill. As I was coming in the South Door to the Capitol, Cawthorn was on his way out. He saw me and got a big smile on his face and waved. (Narrator: He doesn’t know me.)

MUSE OF HISTORY.

October 2, 1913. The Senate was embroiled in a procedural dispute

on this date

about the printing of a House-Senate conference report on a giant tariff bill. Vice President Thomas Marshall found himself playing parliamentarian and public printer. “If we can find copies of that bill, they will be distributed to Senators,” Marshall said. After a lot of wrangling, the Senate voted 36-17 to approve the plan.

LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

The House has no votes scheduled this week.

The Senate meets at 12 noon.

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