New: This is a very different shutdown fight for Trump than his disastrous bid in 2018-19 for the border wall The GOP Congress has already given him everything he wants Fetterman: “They’re begging us to shut it down" www.semafor.com/article/09/2... @eleanormueller.bsky.social and Shelby Talcott

Sen. Rand Paul on MTP with harsher comments on FCC/Kimmel than a couple days ago "Absolutely inappropriate. Brendan Carr has got no business weighing in on this" "If you're losing money, you can be fired. But the government's got no business in it. And the FCC was wrong to weigh in"

Dem leaders Jeffries and Schumer write President Trump requesting a meeting on shutdown negotiations “It is now your obligation to meet with us directly to reach an agreement to keep the government open and address the Republican healthcare crisis”

Here comes a long wait for this shutdown fight's conclusion. The House passed a CR today and left until October. Senate is not coming back until Sept. 29 Any funding bill will need unanimous consent to become law before Oct. 1. Any shutdown will be a real, full one, not a partial or weekend one

Another shutdown twist: Thune moved to set up votes on the Eliminate Shutdowns Act for after the recess www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...

Thune says Senate will vote again on the House bill when it returns on Sept. 29

Schumer’s case for why Dems won’t be blamed for shutdown: “They, by not negotiating, are causing the shutdown” “when we had the majority, we negotiated with them. There was no shutdown. They're in the majority. They don't negotiate. They caused the shutdown, plain and simple.“

With Rand voting no, Shaheen and Fetterman put Waltz over the top on his cloture vote Waltz advances, 47-45 This is why the Senate never votes on Fridays

Senate attendance issues: Republicans are unable -- at the moment at least -- to set up cloture on their next batch of Trump nominees because they don't have enough members here to win votes to go into and out of executive session

Ouch, House's CR doesn't even get a majority in the Senate, 44-48 (several GOP absences)

Republican Sens. Murkowski and Rand Paul both opposing the House GOP's continuing resolution right now Sen. Fetterman is the only yes on the Dem side

After Barrasso whacks Democrats for opposing the House CR, Schumer says "The reason we're having a shutdown now, is you and your leadership" "Never a shutdown when we were in the leadership" Kind of tense: Barrasso also refused to yield to a question from Schumer

Rep. Jared Golden's CR vote doesn't mean a whole lot ... other than Republicans now calling the CR "bipartisan" as much as they can. Sen. Barrasso just called the House's CR vote bipartisan twice.

Sen. Schumer just called OMB chief Vought a "little minion" of President Trump's

House passes CR, onto the Senate, which will take it up shortly in a *rare* Friday session along with the Democratic alternative. Both are expected to fail, and a recess of stewing probably looms ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline

After the House approves GOP CR, Schumer says Senate will vote on GOP CR and Dem CR tomorrow. Assuming the voting thresholds are set at 60, both will fail And then it seems likely Congress goes on recess

Senate Republicans are considering allowing votes on the Dem CR (and the House's CR if it passes tomorrow) on Friday. This would require unanimous consent. Thune says they are working on it. Senate Democrats are playing hardball by objecting behind the scenes to an agreement on going to recess

Talked to Rs about FCC chair and Kimmel's suspension Sen. Lummis: "I tend to think that the 1st Amendment should always be sort of the ultimate right ... should be almost no checks and balances on it. I don't feel that way anymore “something's changed culturally" www.semafor.com/article/09/1...

Small bipartisan moment: Sen. Hassan just successfully got consent to pass a big addiction prevention/treatment bill reauthorization

Sen. Moreno on lack of meeting between Schumer and Thune “I think the Democratic leader should meet with the Republican leader. Chuck Schumer – I'm actually thinking of dropping a map of the Capitol” “Thune has made it clear that he's willing to engage"

CBO finds that extending the expiring ACA tax credits, repealing marketplace changes in tax cuts law would increase health insurance coverage rolls by 6.7 million and increase deficit by $622 billion over 10 years www.cbo.gov/system/files...

A convo with Joe Manchin - Pans Dems shutdown strategy: “They’re going to be blamed for shutting it down" - Praised Fetterman's stance as "refreshing, and thank God for John saying something" (Fetterman reply: “I hope he’s gotten over the way I dress") And more www.semafor.com/article/09/1...

Schumer releases Democrats' government funding plan as the party opposes the GOP's continuing resolution Bill reverses Medicaid cuts from tax law, makes expiring ACA subsidies permanent, tries to reverse admin's budget freezes + rescissions and contains $ for member security. Rs already oppose

News: Trump administration officially supports the House's spending bill "President Trump opposes a Government shutdown and every Member of Congress must support passage ... Opposition to H.R. 5371 is an endorsement of a senseless Government shutdown that the American people will not stand for"

News: Republicans ARE working on Trump's "comprehensive" crime bill. It's early but there's real work/discussions behind the scenes. Talk of pivoting after the shutdown fight, and it would be national, not just DC @eleanormueller.bsky.social and Shelby Talcott www.semafor.com/article/09/1...

Final step of the nuclear option rules change for presidential nominees going down right now Republicans moving to change precedent for bloc of nominees from 60 to simple majority. This sets up the first big batch of nominees to be confirmed tomorrow

New: Dem voters want congressional leaders to have shut down fight -- even if they don't win it, per new polling from Data for Progress/Grow Progress. They also want a "firmer stand" than in March www.semafor.com/article/09/1... @eleanormueller.bsky.social

Republicans split over Trump’s crackdown on liberal groups, political speech “I don’t know, what are you going to do? I mean, it is free speech,” Tuberville told Semafor. “That’s why we’ve got an attorney general, I guess" w @daveweigel.bsky.social www.semafor.com/article/09/1...

Shutdown -- Schumer and Jeffries slam House GOP's CR "The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis" The united front is a tactical change to the Dem split in March

Top spending Dems Murray + DeLauro criticize House Republicans' government funding plan, signal they'll oppose it Say they're working w "Chairs Cole and Collins on a bipartisan, short-term continuing resolution. We stand ready to continue down this path ... if Speaker Johnson backs away from this"

Sen. Barrasso, GOP whip and a doctor, breaks with Florida moving to stop vaccine mandates “I disagree with what the Surgeon General in Florida is trying to do” “vaccines work, I’ve talked about that openly, and continue to suggest for children to have parents make sure their kids have vaccines”

Thune says there's no plans right now for Senate GOP to investigate liberal groups as House weighs whether to launch select committee and Trump administration prepares for probes “I've not heard anything like that from any of our committee chairs or leadership"

Thune pretty firm that Congress WILL address the expiring ACA subsidies just not on CR “I think the ACA subsidies will be an issue that will be addressed. But I think right now we've got to keep the government open ... I don't think there's anything close to ready to go by" Sept. 30

Thune to Schumer: "My office is right down the hall. He knows my phone number*. I haven't heard from him" Schumer has written letters to Thune but no meeting between the two yet on the CR "If the Democratic leader chooses to oppose it, that's his prerogative"

If the House can pass a spending bill, not quite clear when Senate would take it up with holiday next week. If House sends it over as a message to Senate, could take it up more quickly, even this weekend If not, would take a couple days to set up an initial cloture vote on it

Schumer: Trump "absolutely" acting like he wants a shutdown "Closing negotiations, forcing partisan votes, ignoring the needs on health care, on costs, on so many issues" R leaders are "doing exactly what Donald Trump wants"

Big Principals Tuesday - Patel before Senate Judiciary - Bank lobby drama - Shutdown fight - Bipartisan criticism for Venezuela strikes www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...

Venezuela response: Sens. Schiff and Kaine working on War Powers Act resolution to block military from attacking non-state organizations until authorized by Congress.

News: No signs of a GOP pile-on on FBI Director Patel ahead of Judiciary hearing. VERY different than RFK, even as Patel takes on water from conservatives Trump allies Cornyn: “I don’t know who’s got the long knives out after him, but I thought: He’s doing fine" www.semafor.com/article/09/1...

Sen. Paul on second strike on alleged drug boat off coast of Venezuela "I don't think you can have drug interdiction where you just shoot boats without knowing who's on board or what's on board" "Y'all need to ask the White House. Is this the policy? Are you going to blow up ships off of Miami?"

News: Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of Armed Services Committee, says there should be a senators’ briefing on the Trump administration’s two strikes on alleged drug boats off Venezuela

Schumer says Republicans still won't negotiate with Democrats on their health care asks for government funding bill, says Johnson is doing "his own CR without consultation" with the minority party. "Total, total partisan proposal," Schumer says. CR will need at least 7 Dem votes in Senate

Thune throws cold water on idea of attaching Russia sanctions to the government funding bill. Says he hopes the issue is "ripe" soon but says Trump wants European allies to join US in standing against buying Russian oil first Also says he hopes Senate can vote on it this week, if House passes it

Outcome isn't in doubt, but important actions in the Senate tonight - adopting the resolution setting up the first big bloc (Guilfoyle, Gingrich) of nominees - Miran will be confirmed to the Fed around 8ish, right ahead of tomorrow's meeting

Odd couple alert: Hawley and Warren writes Bezos on "unfair scheduling practices" for Amazon workers "Corporations that are worth trillions of dollars should not be mistreating their workers so that they can further pad their profit margins" www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

Shutdown: House Rs will try to move CR into Nov. + negotiate w Senate. Dems say no negotiations happening Schumer spox: “If Republicans follow Donald Trump’s orders ... they will be single-handedly putting our country" toward shutdown www.semafor.com/article/09/1... @eleanormueller.bsky.social

We’ve been hearing all spring and summer how Schumer’s leadership is in trouble, but there’s just no evidence of it in the Democratic Caucus yet. In this shutdown pressure cooker, Schumer "willing to stand in the fight" if he doesn't get bipartisan deal, Booker says www.semafor.com/article/09/1...

New: Chuck Schumer drawing a much harder line in the shutdown fight this time. Despite all the talk about his leadership being imperiled, he has firm support from his caucus going into it "He deserves our support ... think the caucus is not going to turn on him" www.semafor.com/article/09/1...

Collins and Shaheen to Sec Rubio "We write to share our concern regarding recent reports that significant quantities of U.S.–purchased lifesaving commodities, including food aid and contraceptive supplies, have been allowed to expire or targeted for destruction" www.semafor.com/article/09/1...

53-45, Senate votes to lower threshold from 60 to majority for resolutions setting up en bloc confirmations. Straight party-line vote Those batch confirmations will start next week