Yes, it had started prior, and we continue to find out about the erosions of our democracy over the last few decades. I think that people such as the founders of heritage foundation are real problem ; djt is their puppet. I just wanted to be sure my message was clear.
Jo, in MO, we aren’t “finding out” about the erosions of our democracy. We have been living it daily with 20+ years of a Republican supermajority in our state legislature. All of our state-wide offices are R’s, from the Governor to the Auditor, and everyone in between. And every one of them has been implementing Project 2025 long before the Heritage Foundation gave it that name.
Yes, the Heritage Foundation, and everyone that supports their aim for a white Christian nationalist authoritarian regime is a real problem.
I mean of course Vought thinks we need more partisanship when his party is in charge. If the other party was more partisan when they were in charge I’m sure he’d think it was unfair or out of line 🤷🏼♀️
My main question after reading this is: where have the conservatives gone? Looking at that chart you shared, there doesn’t appear to be such a concept as fiscal conservatism anymore, just different flavors of spending. Elon Musk was apparently bamboozled into thinking he was part of a conservative administration but has stormed off to form his own party where the government is more fiscally conservative — except, of course, where his personal financial interests would be in conflict. The whole DOGE experiment was less about genuine government efficiency and more about political theater that even the courts saw through.
This makes me think about future generations, which is funny because I don’t think I’ll ever have kids, but I look around at these politicians and voters and think… I thought y’all love kids, right? Would you buy a new car with your kids’ college fund? Because we are setting our kids and grandkids up to be paying interest for things like ICE expansion and Alligator Alcatraz for the rest of their lives. Every dollar spent on these partisan priorities through reconciliation and rescissions is a dollar that future taxpayers (your kids and especially your grandkids!!!) will have to service with interest.
At least when Democrats are spending our kids’ money, they’re investing in kids’ future with free school lunches, healthcare, and infrastructure. Republicans are flushing it down the toilet on industries of harassment and destruction. The $140 billion in new border security spending you mentioned isn’t building anything that will generate economic returns or improve lives — it’s just expanding a punitive apparatus that will require endless feeding.
Another example of this reckless budget logic is how we’re gutting Medicaid. By not funding healthcare for these recipients, rural hospitals will fail. But then Republicans, if they are going to do anything about it, will just throw money at keeping those hospitals’ lights on without actually helping patients — so we keep spending but save fewer lives. That’s the opposite of conservative.
Is there not an appetite for a political message that goes along the lines of “stop spending our grandkids into a debt spiral”? Because what you’ve described isn’t just a process problem — it’s a generational theft problem with no conversation about how to stop. When Russell Vought says he wants appropriations to be “a little bit partisan,” he’s essentially saying he wants to be able to raid the future without having to justify it to anyone who might object. It’s just reckless spending with a red hat on.
I am old enough to remember when “stop spending our grandkids into a debt spiral” was a political message that lots of people had an appetite for--and it wasn't very long ago, because I'm not that old. We need tax revenues and we need to cut spending.
Right! And I tend to roll my eyes real hard when we're talking about cutting spending on investments that pay for themselves, and protect all spending if it's out of fear (defense, police, etc) because it's politically suicidal to be frugal there. But now it's getting to the point where owning American debt isn't necessarily a good investment anymore, because investors have serious doubts it can ever be repaid. That's an economic catastrophe not only for the kids, but for us! (Maybe a lot of "conservatives" need to have their own livelihoods threatened in order to take this issue seriously... because they don't seem to be worried about the next generation's survival.)
Timothy, the only survival today’s R’s (including the ones that used to be fiscally conservative - which is different than culturally/religiously conservative) care about is their own political survival. Every R is protecting their political career from Trump’s wrath at our expense.
I think a lot of it is due to the idea of my kids and grandkids will be the wealthy and not the poor. Obviously that’s just not the truth for most people as the middle class also struggles. I have friends and relatives who truly believe these tax breaks will help them more than the loss of govt funding. These are people who got federal loans during COVID and enrolled kids in CHIP.
Me! I'm raising my hand. I'm tired of Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski and the media playing up the possibility that either one of them might actually vote with Democrats on something--because they usually don't. So can we stop pretending that it's news-worthy to report on anything they say or do? It always ends the same.
It’s not just the actions that Republicans are taking to push their own agenda that’s so disheartening, but the absolute glee they emit when shutting down any possible negotiations with Democrats or willingness to make certain concessions. What are they teaching our kids?
Democrats have been check-mated a lot recently. They keep trying to play the old game (one that upheld rules, order, and precedent), but they’re playing by themselves bc Republicans are no longer playing by the old rules. So unfortunately, I foresee be a situation where they play by the Republican’s tactics, which is ultimately a lose for everyone. More instability, less compromise, more big swings between elections and who is in power. I’m holding onto my seat, because this ride is not done being wild.
It appears to me that a government shutdown is a lose-lose for D’s, and a win-win for R’s.
But what is it for the American people? Is it a necessary ripping off of the bandaid? Is there any possible scenario where something good comes out of it?
If you look at what has happened in the past when we have had government shutdowns, it has cost the taxpayers more money than if they had just kept it open (here's an article from a somewhat recent one: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/senator-murray-details-harms-of-a-needless-and-costly-shutdown-as-she-pushes-to-get-final-funding-bills-across-finish-line). I think it's important to note that most shutdowns result in not a whole lot being gained by either side. Plus during the previous shutdowns, any government worker that is "mission essential" (such as TSA agents) have to still work but are not paid. They eventually get paid but after how long? Ultimately it's a waste of money and adds stress to already stressed personnel.
Beth, that’s true from a $ standpoint. I was thinking about what D’s, R’s, and the American people have to gain from gaining/losing control, trust, goodwill, etc.
I agree it’s a really negative/destructive/counterproductive thing to do for $’s.
This is what oligarchy looks like. The "solution" to our budget problems is simply two-fold: 1) Cut spending, and 2) Raise taxes. Either of these, alone, is futile. And, as long as the oligarchs are in charge--raising taxes on those who can most-feasibly contribute (e.g. the oligarchs)...point #2 will not happen.
We also can't ignore the fact that presidents previous to Trump 2.0 were bound by the "law."
I vehemently disagree with Vought here. We do not need more partisanship in the US.
Thank you, Amber. Partisanship leads to authoritarianism.
This is really chapter and verse of the gospel (Project 25) written by Russell Vought.
We have seen the enemy, and he is Russell Vought.
And that tends to lend credibility to my argument that Trump isnt the origin of the problem; he is the puppet!
Jo, I agree the problem existed before Trump.
Yes, it had started prior, and we continue to find out about the erosions of our democracy over the last few decades. I think that people such as the founders of heritage foundation are real problem ; djt is their puppet. I just wanted to be sure my message was clear.
Jo, in MO, we aren’t “finding out” about the erosions of our democracy. We have been living it daily with 20+ years of a Republican supermajority in our state legislature. All of our state-wide offices are R’s, from the Governor to the Auditor, and everyone in between. And every one of them has been implementing Project 2025 long before the Heritage Foundation gave it that name.
Yes, the Heritage Foundation, and everyone that supports their aim for a white Christian nationalist authoritarian regime is a real problem.
I mean of course Vought thinks we need more partisanship when his party is in charge. If the other party was more partisan when they were in charge I’m sure he’d think it was unfair or out of line 🤷🏼♀️
Thank you, Gabe! I learned a lot from this.
My main question after reading this is: where have the conservatives gone? Looking at that chart you shared, there doesn’t appear to be such a concept as fiscal conservatism anymore, just different flavors of spending. Elon Musk was apparently bamboozled into thinking he was part of a conservative administration but has stormed off to form his own party where the government is more fiscally conservative — except, of course, where his personal financial interests would be in conflict. The whole DOGE experiment was less about genuine government efficiency and more about political theater that even the courts saw through.
This makes me think about future generations, which is funny because I don’t think I’ll ever have kids, but I look around at these politicians and voters and think… I thought y’all love kids, right? Would you buy a new car with your kids’ college fund? Because we are setting our kids and grandkids up to be paying interest for things like ICE expansion and Alligator Alcatraz for the rest of their lives. Every dollar spent on these partisan priorities through reconciliation and rescissions is a dollar that future taxpayers (your kids and especially your grandkids!!!) will have to service with interest.
At least when Democrats are spending our kids’ money, they’re investing in kids’ future with free school lunches, healthcare, and infrastructure. Republicans are flushing it down the toilet on industries of harassment and destruction. The $140 billion in new border security spending you mentioned isn’t building anything that will generate economic returns or improve lives — it’s just expanding a punitive apparatus that will require endless feeding.
Another example of this reckless budget logic is how we’re gutting Medicaid. By not funding healthcare for these recipients, rural hospitals will fail. But then Republicans, if they are going to do anything about it, will just throw money at keeping those hospitals’ lights on without actually helping patients — so we keep spending but save fewer lives. That’s the opposite of conservative.
Is there not an appetite for a political message that goes along the lines of “stop spending our grandkids into a debt spiral”? Because what you’ve described isn’t just a process problem — it’s a generational theft problem with no conversation about how to stop. When Russell Vought says he wants appropriations to be “a little bit partisan,” he’s essentially saying he wants to be able to raid the future without having to justify it to anyone who might object. It’s just reckless spending with a red hat on.
I am old enough to remember when “stop spending our grandkids into a debt spiral” was a political message that lots of people had an appetite for--and it wasn't very long ago, because I'm not that old. We need tax revenues and we need to cut spending.
Right! And I tend to roll my eyes real hard when we're talking about cutting spending on investments that pay for themselves, and protect all spending if it's out of fear (defense, police, etc) because it's politically suicidal to be frugal there. But now it's getting to the point where owning American debt isn't necessarily a good investment anymore, because investors have serious doubts it can ever be repaid. That's an economic catastrophe not only for the kids, but for us! (Maybe a lot of "conservatives" need to have their own livelihoods threatened in order to take this issue seriously... because they don't seem to be worried about the next generation's survival.)
Timothy, the only survival today’s R’s (including the ones that used to be fiscally conservative - which is different than culturally/religiously conservative) care about is their own political survival. Every R is protecting their political career from Trump’s wrath at our expense.
I think a lot of it is due to the idea of my kids and grandkids will be the wealthy and not the poor. Obviously that’s just not the truth for most people as the middle class also struggles. I have friends and relatives who truly believe these tax breaks will help them more than the loss of govt funding. These are people who got federal loans during COVID and enrolled kids in CHIP.
Is anyone else tired of Susan Collins?
Does anyone else think she’s being disingenuous when she says she’s “baffled”?
How can she not know Russell Vought understands how Congress operates, and he is using it against them?
I am calling her out as complicit!
Me! I'm raising my hand. I'm tired of Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski and the media playing up the possibility that either one of them might actually vote with Democrats on something--because they usually don't. So can we stop pretending that it's news-worthy to report on anything they say or do? It always ends the same.
Allison, perfectly said!
It’s not just the actions that Republicans are taking to push their own agenda that’s so disheartening, but the absolute glee they emit when shutting down any possible negotiations with Democrats or willingness to make certain concessions. What are they teaching our kids?
Democrats have been check-mated a lot recently. They keep trying to play the old game (one that upheld rules, order, and precedent), but they’re playing by themselves bc Republicans are no longer playing by the old rules. So unfortunately, I foresee be a situation where they play by the Republican’s tactics, which is ultimately a lose for everyone. More instability, less compromise, more big swings between elections and who is in power. I’m holding onto my seat, because this ride is not done being wild.
It appears to me that a government shutdown is a lose-lose for D’s, and a win-win for R’s.
But what is it for the American people? Is it a necessary ripping off of the bandaid? Is there any possible scenario where something good comes out of it?
If you look at what has happened in the past when we have had government shutdowns, it has cost the taxpayers more money than if they had just kept it open (here's an article from a somewhat recent one: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/senator-murray-details-harms-of-a-needless-and-costly-shutdown-as-she-pushes-to-get-final-funding-bills-across-finish-line). I think it's important to note that most shutdowns result in not a whole lot being gained by either side. Plus during the previous shutdowns, any government worker that is "mission essential" (such as TSA agents) have to still work but are not paid. They eventually get paid but after how long? Ultimately it's a waste of money and adds stress to already stressed personnel.
Beth, that’s true from a $ standpoint. I was thinking about what D’s, R’s, and the American people have to gain from gaining/losing control, trust, goodwill, etc.
I agree it’s a really negative/destructive/counterproductive thing to do for $’s.
This is what oligarchy looks like. The "solution" to our budget problems is simply two-fold: 1) Cut spending, and 2) Raise taxes. Either of these, alone, is futile. And, as long as the oligarchs are in charge--raising taxes on those who can most-feasibly contribute (e.g. the oligarchs)...point #2 will not happen.
We also can't ignore the fact that presidents previous to Trump 2.0 were bound by the "law."
great article. as always, super informative, tho depressing. thank you for keeping us educated!