Policy Soup stir the pot ALPHA

Breaking on MSNBC: New York AG Letitia James has been indicted. Lindsey Halligan, who presented a grand jury with the case against James Comey, gave the presentation to the James grand jury.

As a former federal worker, I remember the financial stress of a shutdown. That’s why I’ve refused to accept pay until the government reopens. Up in NJ, I heard from workers who are rightfully frustrated. Full convo out tomorrow.

People are pissed off—and rightfully so—by the lawlessness of the Trump Administration, and how expensive rent, utilities, and healthcare has gotten. We need a government that actually tries to address your needs, and that’s what I’m fighting for.

It’s clear that our healthcare crisis is not a partisan issue. Speaker Johnson, it’s time to get back to work, swear in Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva, and save healthcare for millions of Americans. It’s the only way out of this shutdown.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar.com

Marjorie Taylor Greene on CNN (!): "I'm getting phone calls from people that are saying if the ACA tax credits expire, they aren't gonna be able to have health insurance. They're going to have to drop it."

Day 9 of the shutdown and House Republicans are still on a paid vacation while our troops and public servants work without pay. Speaker Johnson has the power to end this affordability crisis and bring the House back to work, yet he refuses to do so. We deserve better.

Mob Boss Politics 101. Take a look inside Trump’s playbook of extortion, corruption, intimidation, and violence. In this shutdown, I’m standing up to the bullies and mob bosses. Americans deserve a government that works for, not against, them.

On my visit to NJ last week, I asked a few federal workers to meet me at a local diner. I wanted to hear how this government shutdown is impacting them. Diner Talk Part 2: full conversation coming soon.

Reposted bySenator Andy Kim

Tammy Duckworth@duckworth.senate.govOct 8(source)

I cherished every day I got to call myself a Soldier—but ordering troops to intimidate the very Americans they sacrifice to protect doesn’t make us safer. Trump is wasting millions to terrorize citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. It's wrong.

Link

The Trump Admin’s assault on federal workers is nothing new. They have no regard for the public servants who are currently going without pay because of the shutdown they continue to prolong. I spoke with federal workers in New Jersey. They see the lawlessness and are asking me to hold the line.

Mob Boss Politics 101: Deploying the National Guard to yet another an American city and then threatening to jail your political opponents. This isn’t keeping us safe. We have to reject Trump’s mob boss tactics of threats and intimidation.

The Washington Post

@washingtonpost.com

President Trump has called for the jailing of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, both Democrats, for “failing to protect” ICE officers who have been sent to the city.

It’s Day 8 of the government shutdown and Republicans in the House are still MIA. Every day that goes by is a day that we could be working together to solve the affordability and healthcare crisis in this country. It’s time Speaker Johnson get serious about doing his job.

Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. This is their shutdown and they have the power to come back to the table, work to lower healthcare costs, and deliver for their constituents.

The entire nation is talking about skyrocketing healthcare costs – and for good reason. In this shutdown, we're holding the line against the Trump Administration's lawlessness to fight for a country we can all afford.

Trump isn't just holding your taxpayer dollars hostage in this government shutdown, he's holding federal workers' paychecks hostage, too. Threatening to not compensate them after this shutdown is completely ridiculous. We must guarantee back pay for federal workers.

Read his own words. Donald Trump is a mob boss who directed one of his henchmen, AG Pam Bondi, to go after his political opponents. It's corruption. Plain as day.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar.com

Blumenthal to Bondi: "He has been transparent. In fact, 5 days before the indictment of Comey, he put this post up as instructions to you. He didn't mince words. He was very open & public that you should indict Comey and&others because they are 'guilty as hell, no more delay, now.' 5 days before"

Conversations about the government shutdown are happening all over the country, in workplaces, around kitchen tables, and at New Jersey diners. That's why I left the Capitol to drive home to NJ: to talk with the people at the core of this fight for a safer and healthier America.

My statement reflecting on the two year anniversary of Hamas's horrific terrorist attack on October 7, 2023.

Absolutely ridiculous. We must guarantee back pay after this shutdown that Trump and Republicans led us into. Our federal workers rely on their paychecks to pay rent, support their families, and feed their kids, just like the rest of us. They deserve better.

Axios

@axios.com

SCOOP: Furloughed federal workers aren't guaranteed compensation for their forced time off during the government shutdown, according to a draft White House memo described to Axios by three sources.

Shame on Speaker Johnson for giving House Republicans a paid vacation while our military troops and public servants go without pay. This government shutdown won’t end unless Speaker Johnson is willing to come back to work.