2023 US Government Shut Down

[dr_t_non-fan]

The Canadian-dubbed version referred to the Ontario college, eh?

[Cooke]

@stochiki

Very prestigious college

Yes. A lot of Queen’s (Ontario) alumni are prominent in US affairs but blend in with the Americans.

Queen’s is probably prouder of alumni like Ali Velshi than Elon Musk as, unlike Elon, Ali at least completed his Queen’s degree and does not trash Canada.

Ali Velshi: Small Acts of Courage | Queen's Alumni

[Fish_Actuary]

I’ve got a friend who’s a Queen alum who is not proud of Queen’s. Quite unhappy with them.

[Cooke]

Depends when you went to Queen’s. My sense is that it has gone downhill since I was there (1968-1972).

But maybe the whole world has gone downhill since the 1960s?

[knoath]

I think food was pretty awful in the 60s (although I only remember the 70s). At least, where I grew up.

[Cooke]

I grew up on my mother’s healthy farm cooking. Most of our food was grown on the farm. We had a huge cold room for her preserves for the winter.

The food I had at Queen’s was pretty tasty evidenced by the fact that I reached my maximum adult weight, by far, in first year. After first year, I cooked for myself and my weight dropped.

[knoath]

Most home cooked meals when I was a child involved over well done meat that needed gravy or ketchup added because it was so dry. It was accompanied by over-boiled vegetables. Mashed potatoes was the one saving grace. The worst of British style cuisine.

In the 70s and 80s, Italian and Chinese food started becoming more and more popular. Thai, Vietnamese and middle eastern food started appearing in the 90s. We have much more choice now.

[stochiki]

I wasn’t aware that Queens had a satellite campus in Kingston!

[Cooke]

Since 1841.

[stochiki]

Aren’t you Australian? It’s sausage rolls, meat pies, and * on the barbie. And then just to torment you even more, why not a nice vegemite sandwich for breakfast.

[knoath]

Thanks. Just rub it in. I miss them all terribly, although I can get Vegemite on Sam Francisco sour dough toast. A match made in heaven.

[Maphistos_Sidekick]

@YankeeTripper – Perhaps this thread’s title could be appropriately tweaked?

Gift NYT link:

Trump Live Updates: Federal Worker Cuts, Ireland's Leader Visits U.S. and the...

Senate Democrats balk at funding extension, raising the risk of a shutdown.

Senate Democrats said on Wednesday that they would refuse to back a Republican-written stopgap bill to fund the government through Sept. 30, significantly raising the chances of a government shutdown at the end of the week.

The standoff puts Senate Democrats at risk of being blamed for any shutdown even as they complain about Trump administration disruptions to federal agencies. But they are under pressure from House Democrats and activists to stand against Mr. Trump and Elon Musk as they lead an effort to dismantle broad swaths of the federal bureaucracy, in some cases in direct defiance of Congress, which holds the power of the purse.

With two days left before the shutdown deadline, there is still time for a reversal by Democrats. But most of them have heaped criticism on Republicans’ stopgap spending measure, arguing that it would give Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk too much leeway to continue their unilateral efforts to slash government employees and programs.

Republicans, who control both chambers, have shown no willingness to compromise with Democrats on the spending measure. And even if they agreed to, changing the House bill or approving a different one would require the House to return and vote again, which is highly unlikely. Republican leaders deliberately adjourned the chamber on Tuesday night and left town after passing the spending legislation, known as a continuing resolution, to effectively force the Senate to accept it.

[Maphistos_Sidekick]

Chuck Schumer backs spending bill to avert US government shutdown

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced his reversal on Thursday, after vowing he and other Democrats would block the bill, which would fund the government through September.

Other Democrats might now join him in voting to approve the measure - but splits could emerge, since some of his colleagues are still opposed.

Democrats face two options: help Republicans pass the bill, or stand their ground and oppose it. If they oppose, they will likely take the brunt of the blame for the shutdown, which would start at 23:59 EDT on Friday (03:59 GMT on Saturday).

“There are no winners in a government shutdown,” Schumer said in his announcement on the Senate floor.

While it is a no-win scenario for the Dems, given a choice between sacrificing even the illusion of Congressional oversight and a shutdown, the shutdown is, I think, the lesser evil.

Dems are choosing party popularity ratings over the Constitution.

[Rastiln]

Unfortunately, it’s also true that closing the government means a lot of layoffs can happen very quickly.

[tommie.frazier]

that’s a concern i note. and in prior shut downs they were backpaid when re-opened. i suspect none of that would happen here. just mass layoffs bc “not needed”.

[now_samantha]

No shut down. The cowards who voted yes were: Catherine Cortez Masto, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Kirsten Gillibrand, Maggie Hassan, Angus King (I), Gary Peters, Chuck Schumer, Brian Schatz and Jeanne Shaheen.

[knoath]

Have they not heard of Neville Chamberlain?

[Maphistos_Sidekick]

Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage

[now_samantha]

[dr_t_non-fan]

Agreed. Why is he the Minority Leader? No one else wants to do do the job?