🗓️ What’s Up Next
Congress
The Senate is in session today, out Thursday for Yom Kippur, but will return Friday and Saturday for voting—or negotiations.
The PA General Assembly
The House is in session today for voting, and the Senate returns for a non-voting session on October 3rd.
Want a deeper dive?
If there’s a topic you’re interested in our analysis of, feel free to drop us a line. We’ll be doing deeper dives on the big stuff as it happens, but we’re always happy to hear what you want to know.
The Congressional Breakdown
We’re in the shutdown. President Trump met with Congressional leadership, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday, but no deal was reached. All signs point to an extension of key Obamacare tax credits as one of the major sticking points for the Democratic Party.
The Responses
Senator Schumer maintains that “it’s in their [the Republicans'] court to solve it. It’s their shutdown”, as everyone asks for a solution. At the same time, President Trump is threatening long-term, permanent cuts that will target programs important to Democrats. Senators are out Thursday for Yom Kippur, but plan to return Friday and Saturday to continue voting, or continue high-level negotiations.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development website now has a large banner blaming the Democratic Party for a shutdown. Yesterday, it read that the shutdown would “inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.” It’s since been amended to read: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.”
HUD isn’t the only federal agency that’s being told to send the message. An email from the White House Office of Management and Budget was sent to several staffers at agencies and Cabinet departments on Tuesday, making it clear that the administration intends to place the blame for the shutdown on Democrats. Overtly political messages in official agency communications is raising ethical alarms.
White House Budget Director Russ Vought threatened mass layoffs of federal workers on Tuesday, calling on agencies to use the shutdown to permanently reduce their workforces. He’ll brief House Republicans on a 1 p.m. conference call today. While government shutdown protocol always requires furloughs, or the temporary suspension of workers, calling for permanent layoffs is a drastic step. After last week’s mass rehiring of laid-off workers as a result of DOGE cuts, the whiplash is severe.
Today, Congress will vote to confirm 108 of President Trump’s nominees en bloc—but a few nominations were withdrawn on Tuesday, including E.J. Antoni for the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Brian Quintenz as chair of the Commodity Futures and Trading Commission.
How it Impacts Pennsylvania: Shutdowns can get fuzzy. Politico has an excellent explainer of how a government shutdown will affect not just Pennsylvania, but the entire nation. Things like travel (don’t expect to see much staff at national parks, and while TSA agents and air traffic controllers, while required to work, will work without pay), student loans (yes, they still have to be paid), defense (most military personnel are now working without pay), and healthcare (the Department of Health and Human Services is furloughing 40% of its employees) are all impacted greatly by a shutdown.
The most recent government shutdown in 2019 lasted a record 35 days, the second of the two that occurred during Trump’s first term.
What Happens Next
Government shutdowns are remarkably easy to get into, but not to get out of. We’ll be waiting now to see if today’s votes on both continuing resolutions yield a different outcome—but don’t hold your breath. Republicans and Democrats will have to broker a deal, likely negotiating an extension to the healthcare subsidies that have been a sticking point. Otherwise, someone has to back down, at least temporarily.
So far, the administration hasn’t been willing to offer any support or concessions. We’ll see what happens when Congress is back in session Friday and Saturday, and if any deals get done. If you’re curious, yes, Congress—and the president—still get paid during a shutdown.
🔥 What We’re Watching
The landscape of higher education continues to shift as President Trump reportedly reached a $500m deal with Harvard, money is siphoned from universities and injected elsewhere, and the White House floats the idea of funding advantages for colleges that align with Trump’s policies.
The White House Office of Management and Budget continues to wreak havoc, and this time on the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. The Council was reportedly informed over the weekend that its funding would be withheld in the new fiscal year, halting its statutorily mandated functions and forcing the furlough of at least 25 employees.
Files get released—but not the ones anyone was hoping for. Interesting, nonetheless: all government documents related to American aviator Amelia Earhart are being declassified.
Did You Know? Get ready for fall foliage! According to the PA Department of Conservation and Resources, the state has one of the longest fall foliage seasons and the most varied, due to its latitude. Don’t forget to get outside and see the beauty. Fall is a great time for Pennsylvania, historically. In October 1854, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine became the first medical school in the United States to open a hospital specifically for women, which significantly advanced women’s healthcare in the following years.
Till next time,