ISO Shutdown Clarity
One of the big question marks on Day Eight of the shutdown is what President Donald Trump has in mind for government workers. Will he try to make permanent reductions in force, and if so, where?
When reporters tried to pin him down on that yesterday, he told them he’ll have more to say on that “in four to five days,” and that OMB Director Russell Vought is “getting ready to cut things.”
It’s one more extra shutdown-related countdown, along with the subsidies for rural airports that expire Sunday, and the Nov. 1 deadline for health insurance providers to tell Obamacare purchasers how much next year’s premiums will be.
Meanwhile, Jack Fitzpatrick and Ken Tran report that lawmakers are working through full-year spending decisions and are close to a deal that would let them vote on three of the least contentious fiscal 2026 spending bills — Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-VA — once the shutdown is resolved.
Efforts like that might help explain something that Maeve Sheehey and Lillianna Byington noticed: Though tens of thousands of federal workers are furloughed, lawmakers appear to have largely kept their staffs on the job. Read More
Also Read:
- Trump Barrels Toward Legal Fight Over Federal Workers’ Back Pay
- Business Lobbies Duck Partisan Sniping as They Navigate Shutdown
- Senators Holding Holiday-Weekend Fundraising Trips Amid Shutdown
Cruz Puts Free Speech on Stage
Today’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing could stick with the narrow mission of airing complaints about the Biden administration bullying social media companies. Or it may become a high-profile platform for those who objected to the government pressure behind Jimmy Kimmel being temporarily taken off the air, Oma Seddiq reports.
Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) wants Congress to set up a way for companies to report when they’re on the receiving end of government pressure to censor or moderate constitutionally protected speech. Other committee members will also have the opportunity to talk about their censorship concerns and legislative proposals. Read More
Comey in Court
Former FBI director James Comey is expected to plead not guilty to charges that he made false statements to Congress when he makes his first court appearance today. Trump had demanded that prosecutors charge Comey despite concerns in the Justice Department about insufficient evidence. More from The Washington Post here.
Combative Hearing: At a contentious Senate Judiciary hearing yesterday, Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to address questions about Comey. She cited her inability to discuss ongoing cases, Ben Penn reports. Read More
Diplomatic Cutoff
The timing of the latest development between the US and Venezuela is a little awkward. Later this week, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced — something Trump has openly sought.
Eric Martin reports that Trump has called off US diplomatic engagement with Venezuela after suggesting that he could order military strikes on land-based drug trafficking targets in addition to hits already made at sea.
Last week, the White House declared that the US was in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels flooding the country with illegal drugs. Read More
See Also: Rand Paul Backs Effort to Block Military Strikes on Drug Boats
Eye on Tariffs
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Oval Office meeting produced no specifics on the next trade deal, though Trump did say he expects there will be one eventually. “We’re working on formulas and I think we’ll get there,” the president said.
Carney won his job on a promise to negotiate a new trade and security deal with the US, and Trump has only hiked tariffs since then. Read More
New Demands: EU officials see new US demands for concessions as well as other measures as potentially undercutting a recent agreement that brought the allies back from the brink of a trade war. Read More
Before You Go
Trump’s Nominee: Matt Van Epps, an Army combat veteran who served in Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) administration, won a crowded Republican primary in the special Tennessee election after getting Trump’s endorsement last week, Greg Giroux reports. Van Epps had about 51% of the vote in nearly complete returns compared with 25% for state Rep. Jody Barrett, the preferred candidate of the House Freedom Caucus’ political arm. Democrats nominated state Rep. Aftyn Behn, a social worker and community organizer. The special election to complete the term of ex-Rep. Mark Green (R) is Dec. 2.
Chopping Block: The Trump administration is considering canceling about $12 billion in energy projects, including funding for hydrogen ventures backed by US oil majors, Ari Natter reports. Among those up for termination are $1 billion in total awarded to automakers Stellantis and General Motors. Read More
Trump Rebuff: Although the Supreme Court has blocked orders to reinstate fired officials because of the risk of harm to the government, “this is not a like case,” the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit said in an order barring the removal of Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz during litigation over whether his ouster was legal. Read More
Albany State of Mind: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) is inching closer to running against New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) next year, and she says Hochul’s endorsement of Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor has created an opening, Laura Nahmias and Nacha Cattan report. “If Mamdani wins, New Yorkers are going to look for a check — a Republican governor,” Stefanik said. Read More
Add Us To Your Inbox
Sign up here to get Starting Line on weekday mornings. It’s free!
Greg Giroux in Washington also contributed to this story.
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story: