Policy Soup stir the pot ALPHA

Heck yeah. Stand up. Fight back.

@kylegriffin1.bsky.social

Heck yeah. Stand up. Fight back.

Kyle Griffin

Reuters: DEMOCRATIC-LED STATES FILE LAWSUIT TO BLOCK TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM SUSPENDING SNAP BENEFITS DURING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The only way out of this is to negotiate and we’ve been ready for a month. Stonewalling us just holds federal workers, our troops and hungry families hostage because Republicans don’t have a health care plan beyond “don’t be poor”

They say the definition of insanity is trying the same damn thing over and over and over again expecting a different result.

CBS News

@cbsnews.com

BREAKING: The Senate vote on a bill to reopen the government fails for the 13th time, with the shutdown now in its 4th week.

Reposted byTina Smith

Senator Peter Welch@welch.senate.govOct 28(source)

I’ve been in Congress for shutdowns before, but this one is different. I’ve never witnessed a shutdown where the President of either party has told congressional leaders to not negotiate at all. He's choosing to raise health care costs for millions of families.

Tweeting this when you haven’t come to work a single day since the shutdown started is really brave.

House Committee on Agriculture
@HouseAgGOP

Senator Smith voted twelve times to shutdown
SNAP benefits.

Are we living in the same timeline?

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar.com

Q: Is any work being done on a Republican solution to the healthcare cliff? MIKE JOHNSON: When I say that Republicans have been working on a fix for healthcare, we've been doing this for years. We're doing right now what we have been doing.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

bsky.app/profile/cent...

@centeronbudget.bsky.social

Punchbowl reports “White House officials determined they do not have the authority” to use contingency reserves —billions of $ that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate— to fund Nov. SNAP benefits. But, that’s not what USDA’s now-deleted shutdown plan says:

Trump administration won’t use contingency fund to pay November food stamp benefits | CNN Politics

Yes, they’re using the shutdown to turn off SNAP benefits. No, they don’t have to.

Reposted byTina Smith

Rep. Jim McGovern@repmcgovern.bsky.socialOct 27(source)

Make no mistake: Republicans would come back to DC in a nanosecond if ending the shutdown meant more tax breaks for billionaires, handouts to big banks, or giveaways to the insurance industry. But some of us want to help regular, working people. I guess that’s a bridge too far.

Reposted byTina Smith

Senator Andy Kim@kim.senate.govOct 27(source)

Trump could ensure people don’t go hungry, he’s just choosing not to. Just like Speaker Johnson could bring House Republicans back to work to lower healthcare costs, he's just choosing not to. The American people don’t have the luxury to choose.

The US Department of Agriculture says it will not tap into its $6 billion contingency fund to cover food stamp benefits next month, according to an agency memo obtained by CNN. That means that roughly...

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govOct 25(source)

23 years ago Minnesota lost one of its greatest champions. I think about Paul Wellstone often, especially these last several months. He was a true fighter for Minnesotans.

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govOct 25(source)

“If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them.” — Paul Wellstone

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govOct 23(source)

My dad (95) has an opinion.

Screenshot of text message saying: can anyone believe what that ass hole has done to our house?

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar.com

a live look this morning at the demolished East Wing of the White House

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govOct 23(source)

Moral of the story: If you don’t want Trump to send the military into the streets of your city, have a tech bro billionaire call him.

Post on Truth social from @RealDonaldTrump

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govOct 23(source)

Circling back to this…

House Republicans
@HouseGOP
X.com
Last time we checked the Democrats controlled the House, Senate, and White House.
If there is a government shutdown it's because of Democrats.
The New York Times & @nytimes • 9/27/21
Breaking News: Senate Republicans blocked a bill to avert a government shutdown and a debt default in an effort to undercut President Biden and Democrats.

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govOct 22(source)

@merkley.senate.gov embodies strength and determination. He just spoke on the Senate floor for over 22 hours, standing up (both literally and figuratively!) for the American people. Well done, Jeff!

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govOct 22(source)

Pentagon Propaganda Corps

The Washington Post

@washingtonpost.com

Breaking news: The Defense Department announced a “new media” press corps, largely hailing from right-wing outlets, nearly a week after some of Pentagon journalists turned in their press credentials when they refused to sign a new restrictive press policy.

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govOct 22(source)

It takes courage to stand up for what’s right — something Republicans clearly don’t have. Kudos to my friend Jeff for doing the damn thing!

Senator Jeff Merkley

@merkley.senate.gov