The Dictatorship
Lawmakers see the pain of the shutdown — and are digging in even harder
As the government shutdown reaches the monthlong milestone, both parties agree on two things: The pain is mounting, and that the other party should give in.
Republicans and Democrats widely acknowledge how the shutdown is hurting Americans. They see food benefits running outmore missed paychecks on the horizon and the prospect of low-income pregnant women, infants and children in the WIC assistance program not receiving aid.
But, thus far, the general reaction from lawmakers in both parties has been to argue that this latest pain point is just evidence that the other side needs to succumb to the demands of their party.
Republicans say the quickest way to address the escalating pain is to pass the GOP’s short-term spending bill that the House approved last month, which most Senate Democrats have shot down 13 times.
Ask a GOP lawmaker about, say, the approaching cliff for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and they’ll agree it’s a major problem.
“It’s a serious issue, that’s 40 million Americans,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said. “It affects a lot of people, and my desire is to have this settled a month ago.”
But ask Lankford whether that SNAP cliff is affecting his thinking, and he’ll suggest “the only way” to fix the problem is for Democrats to support the Republican-continuing resolution.
“It’s the only vehicle that’s ready right now,” Lankford said.
Democrats say that proposal is a nonstarter — not because they disagree with anything in the bill, but because they want a fix to expiring Obamacare tax credits included in the legislation. Not extending those subsidies, Democrats warn, will cause health-care premiums to skyrocket for millions of Americans.
Every day that they get closer to the next pain point is to their disadvantage, and frankly, I think it exposes them to the wrath of what they consider to be their own base.”
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.
But ask a Republican such as Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., whether open enrollment starting on Nov. 1 is an incentive for Republicans to start negotiating with Democrats, and he’ll tell you that it’s actually “a lot of incentive for Democrats to finally come to their senses and reopen the government so we can have that discussion.”
“Every day that they get closer to the next pain point is to their disadvantage, and frankly, I think it exposes them to the wrath of what they consider to be their own base,” Cramer said.
Democrats, of course, see it the other way. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday afternoon he believes there will be “increased pressure” on Republicans to negotiate with Democrats once open enrollment begins.
But so far, that hasn’t happened — and the belief that President Donald Trump will come to the table once he sees the scope of the rising premiums may not bear out.
Democrats do, however, agree that the SNAP cliff is a big problem. From their perspective, that’s just all the more reason Republicans should work out a broader deal, with some Democrats taking offense to the suggestion that Republicans suddenly care more about food benefits than their party.
“This is the same party that cut billions of dollars from SNAP benefits in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., told BLN, referring to the GOP reconciliation bill over the summer. “Now they are suddenly the protectors of people on SNAP benefits? It’s all BS.”
Gallego noted that, even if Congress approves funding, GOP lawmakers could claw the dollars back through rescissions — something Republicans have already done this year.
“I don’t trust them,” Gallego said.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a moderate Democrat who broke with the majority of her party in March to support a GOP funding bill, agreed that Congress has to address SNAP running out of money. But she suggested that it shouldn’t come in lieu of Congress addressing the expiring Obamacare tax credits.
“We gotta be able to provide the SNAP benefits that people are entitled to, and the premium tax credits that will make health insurance affordable, and keep the government open,” Shaheen said.
The hardening of positions comes as the shutdown is on the brink of its fifth week, inching closer to breaking the current record for the longest shutdown in history: the 35-day lapse in funding of 2018-19.
During previous shutdowns, mounting pain was a key part of solving the impasses. The 2013 shutdown ended, in large part, because the U.S. was about to reach the debt limitand a major reason the 2018-19 shutdown ended was because air traffic controllers stayed home and grounded flights. But this time around, lawmakers are looking at the pain and suggesting it’s a key reason why the other side should relent.
There is hardly any inward reflection — and neither side is seeing much political blowback, with Americans narrowly blaming Republicans more than Democrats for the shutdown in polls.
“I believe both sides think they’re either winning or they’re not losing, and that’s not fertile ground for any change,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. “For another week or two.”
For a potentially record-breaking shutdown, the standoff has been marked by how little Republicans and Democrats are talking. The GOP position, in fact, is that they have nothing to discuss. Republicans say they will only talk about those expiring subsidies once the government is reopened. Democrats say that will leave Americans making health-care decisions with incomplete information.
Democrats think Americans should know what they’ll be paying for Obamacare before they’re forced to make those decisions during open enrollment, and they refuse to accept on blind faith that Republicans will extend subsidies in some form.
With those positions established — for Republicans, that there is nothing to discuss, and for Democrats, that the GOP has to come to the table — there’s been very little movement over the past month.
Even a statement from the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers that has traditionally supported Democrats, did little to change the dynamic this week — even as AFGE called on Democrats to pass the Republican spending bill and stop “punishing the people who keep our nation running.”
Most Democrats were simply incredulous about the statement.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., noted that he works very closely with that union. “The AFGE would not want us to cut a deal and then have Trump fire a bunch of people next week,” Kaine said. “If we cut a deal and then he did that, they would come to us and say, ‘What the hell were you guys thinking?’”
When reporters asked Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., about the AFGE statement on Monday, he reiterated the general Democratic position: “I don’t like shutdowns.”
“I think we should never have a shutdown,” Peters said. “That’s why I hope Republicans would come with us and find common ground.”
When known asked Peters whether he agreed with AFGE’s position that the GOP funding bill should pass, he made it clear that Democrats still wanted a resolution on the Obamacare subsidies. “So I’m going to do that,” he said.
And then he succinctly summed up how lawmakers — and outside groups — seem to be talking past one another.
“I agree, we don’t want a shutdown,” Peters said. “We want to end the shutdown as quickly as possible, I totally agree with that.”
She covers Capitol Hill involving both Democrats and Republicans. She previously covered Congress at Blue Light News. She graduated from George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication and political science. She is a native New Yorker, Billy Joel’s No. 1fan and a Rubik’s Cube aficionado.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran again launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrainand Kuwaiton Sunday following new U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic Republic, and threatened a “complete halt” in negotiations to end the warif Washington continues its attacks.
Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuzwithout Iran’s oversight has sparked days of crossfire. A multinational maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Saturday it would expand a route near Omanfor inbound and outbound traffic.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday reiterated the claim that Tehran must govern the strait to the Persian Gulfthat once carried a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas.
“Any attempt to establish new or separate arrangements from those currently being carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran will only lead to further complications, delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and increase the level of tension,” Araghchi said.
The strait has long been considered an international waterway despite its location in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters. In recent days, Iran has twice attacked vessels going through a route near the Omani side.
A Pakistani official involved in the technical talks between the U.S. and Iran told MS NOW Sunday that talks between the sides are on hold given the ongoing fighting between the two sides. The source, who did not want to be named to discuss the sensitive matter, said the U.S., Iran, Pakistan and Qatar all have representatives currently in Switzerland to restart discussions when instructed to do so.
But the Trump administration said nothing has been canceled and technical talks are on track for the coming days.
Talks include arrangements around the strait, the removal of a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and sanctions on Iran, and the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The two sides have 60 days from their signing of the memorandum of understanding earlier this month to work out details.
Continued conflict in Lebanon threatens the agreement, which says fighting must end on all fronts before certain issues can be discussed.
Strikes target Gulf states hosting US military
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the attacks in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Kuwait, which hosts a major U.S. military base, said air defenses intercepted Iranian drones and two missiles just after the U.S. strikes in Iran. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
Bahrain said the Iranian strikes damaged a residential building near the international airport and no one was killed. Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. The damaged building was not near its headquarters.
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry denounced what it called “a dangerous escalation that reveals that what Tehran is doing is not a passing act, nor an isolated incident, but rather a deliberate approach and a systematic pattern of repeated aggression.”
Later on Sunday, Qatar said a civilian had been killed, and another person was hurt, by shrapnel related to “military operations in the area” after a vessel didn’t return at its scheduled time on Saturday. It did not give details.
Trump accuses Iran of violating ceasefire
The U.S. military said it struck Iranian military “surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities” following an attack on a ship on Saturday. The Panamanian-flagged tanker Kiku carried crude oil for the state-run energy company of Qatar, another key mediator.
U.S. President Donald Trump on social media accused Iran of violating the deal and warned of a point where the U.S. may “be forced to militarily complete the job.”
“If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” Trump wrote.
The exchanges of fire began when an Iranian drone struck a merchant vesseloff Oman on Thursday and the U.S. military retaliated.
Ship traffic on the strait had increased over the past 72 hours, “despite the elevated threat environment,” the multinational maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday, adding that “U.S.-assisted commercial transits continued uninterrupted.”
It said 89 such transits had been made, below the historical average of 138 vessels a day.
Iran calls for new ‘conflict control unit’ in Lebanon
Last week, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreementto end the latest fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, which began two days after the Iran war started when Hezbollah fired at Israel. Israel has responded with an invasion of southern Lebanon and it has said it will not withdraw until Hezbollah is disarmed.
The agreement did not include Iran or Hezbollah, which has criticized itand rejected calls to disarm.
On Sunday, Iran’s foreign minister again said the U.S. must force Israel to halt attacks and withdraw. Israel occupies around 600 square kilometers (231 square miles) in southern Lebanon, which it says it needs as a security buffer.
Sporadic clashes have continued, and Hezbollah’s leader said Saturday that the group would continue fighting until Israel withdraws from Lebanon.
Key Iranian negotiator and parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Sunday that a meeting of a new “conflict control unit” formed among Iran, the United States and Lebanon should meet as soon as possible, Iran’s state broadcaster reported.
Two strikes hit southern Lebanon on Sunday morning — one in Taybeh town and the other in the Nabatiyeh area, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. There was no immediate word on casualties.
Overnight, Hezbollah militants killed an Israeli soldier in Deir Siryan village in southern Lebanon, according to Israel’s military. Hezbollah did not comment.
Israel targets a village in Syria
Israel’s military targeted Abdin village in southern Syria’s Daraa province with artillery shelling Sunday evening, Syrian state media reported. There was no immediate report of casualties.
State news agency SANA earlier reported that residents had blocked the road into the village with stones to prevent Israeli forces from entering it again after they had entered and withdrawn.
Earlier Sunday, Israel’s military said it had killed several armed men in southern Syria but gave no details. There was no statement from Syrian officials.
Israel seized control of a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria in December 2024 following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in an insurgent offensive. Israeli officials initially called the move temporary, but more recently they have said they plan to occupy the zone indefinitely.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has a message for political opponents using him as the new face of the Democratic Party: “Let them.”
Recent primary races in New York turned into a proxy war between progressives, including democratic socialists like Mamdani, and establishment Democratic politicians after candidates endorsed by Mamdani faced off against those endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. After all three of Mamdani’s endorsements bore fruit, a national spotlight shone on the mayor as a growing influence in the Democratic Party.
Asked on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday how he felt about Republicans making him the “poster child” for the Democratic Party, Mamdani said, “Let them. We don’t have to ask ourselves what life looks like if a socialist wins. I won last November, and over the course of these last six months, what we’ve delivered for working people are the very things we were told were impossible.”
He touted recent campaign promises he delivered on, including freezing rents for nearly one million rent-stabilized apartments, expanding free child care and filling potholes across the city.
“I think we are seeing a hunger that is not just felt by New Yorkers, but frankly by Americans from coast to coast for a new politics, one that puts working people at the heart of it,” Mamdani told ABC.
Mamdani dismissed criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, said last week that he and the mayor “agree to strongly disagree about some of his endorsements, and he’s got work to do in terms of the conversations that he’s going to have with members of Congress moving forward.” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said, “The effort to nationalize New York is going to fail.”
Mamdani said he’s focused on the three congressional candidates he has already endorsed: Brad LanderDarializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez. But he didn’t rule out future endorsements outside of New York.
“It’s not just New York City where working people are asking themselves ‘why can’t I afford my rent, why can’t I afford my groceries, why can’t I find enough money in my pocket for childcare no matter how hard I work?,’” Mamdani said.
When asked about a recent manifesto penned by a number of moderate House Democrats and Democratic candidates, promoting capitalism over socialism, Mamdani doubled down on his vision for the party.
“I’m not interested in writing a manifesto, or frankly, in reading one,” the mayor said. “I’m interested in delivering.”
Mamdani also criticized Democrats who continue to make antagonizing Trump the center of their politics rather than working people.
“You’ve got to have something that you are not just willing to stand up for, but that you’re also willing to explain how this is relevant to working people,” he said. “And I think this just comes back to the fact that I’m leading a city that’s the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. I could end the sentence there and say that life is great for 8.5 million people. But it’s also a city where one in four are living in poverty. And for far too many Americans, those contradictions have become their day to day life.”
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
Despite remaining undefeated in the initial round of the World Cupthe Iran national team is going home after failing to secure enough points to advance. But they do not leave quietly.
Iran’s tumultuous journey in the World Cup has been the subject of widespread attention amid the U.S. war with Iran, with the United States being one of three countries hosting matches. The Iranian team captain, Mehdi Taremi, blamed FIFA, saying, “It’s a disaster World Cup. A disaster.”
“I mean, FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately they could not solve it since the beginning,” Taremi said at a press conference Friday after his team drew with Egypt, knocking Iran out of the tournament.
He pointed to the team’s biggest obstacle. “We don’t have our logistics people here. They don’t have a visa,” Taremi said, adding, “We always complain about these things but no one helps. No one.”
The Trump administration denied visas to key Iranian staff and severely restricted players’ travel. The team’s base camp was moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, where it was required to return immediately after each game.
“How is it possible we always have to travel from Tijuana? We love the people in Tijuana. We love Mexico,” the Iran team captain said, but added, “It’s not fair.”
Throughout the tournament, the Football Federation of Iran lamented the number of issues, threatening to lodge a formal complaint against FIFA. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei called his team the “most oppressed” in the tournament. A few days before Iran’s final match against Egypt in Seattle on Friday, the U.S. loosened travel restrictions to allow players to enter the United States two days before the game.
“The Iran team will still be required to leave the day the match ends,” the Department of Homeland Security said ahead of the match. “The overall security measures and protocol are the same. We remain committed to providing the safest tournament possible for players, staff, and fans alike.”
Still, Iran finished Group G in third place with three points earned after drawing in its matches against Belgium, New Zealandand Egypt. Under FIFA’s new 48-team format, the top eight of third-place teams move on to the next round, but Iran narrowly fell short.
The team initially seemed poised to advance when it was tied with the same amount of points as Algeria, which scored a goal in stoppage-time against Austria Saturday night. But moments later, Austria tied the game, guaranteeing Iran’s elimination.
Off the field, tensions with Iran heightened Friday when the U.S. struck Iran despite signing a memorandum of understanding meant to halt hostilities in order to finalize a peace deal.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
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