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We have just gotten the gavel. The House has officially passed this stopgap funding measure that will keep the government funded through March fourteenth of next year. The tally three hundred and sixty six votes for this measure, only thirty four against. Not a single one of those votes against came from a Democrat. Ultimately, it was the Democrats who provided more votes to get this over the finish line, one hundred and ninety six Democratic members voting yes compared
to one hundred and seventy Republicans. I want to come back to our political panel, Janie Shanzeno and Lester months in here. Lester, there were thirty eight Republicans who last night voted down the measure inclusive of the debt ceiling. Thirty four Republicans voted down this today with the debt ceiling taken out, it only changed four minds on that front. What does that signal to you.
Well, it also changed the minds of all the Democrats.
Fair enough, Yes, right, And that's.
Really the key here. And so Democrats are clearly take Genie's earlier points on this exact question to heart. Democrats want to kind of force the votes next year and maximize their leverage over these tax issues which they are clearly going to be targeting. So you're starting to see the Democrats marshal their forces behind an agenda, thinking coherently about what that means, being willing to take some tough
votes to get that done. And you saw those I think there was one present vote among the Democrats that there's one one Democrat who didn't vote favor this thing. So they have near total unanimity. They've they've got some real leadership. The question is going to be I think next year, can Senator Thun and Speaker Johnson do the same thing that McConnell and Ryan did eight years ago when they really guided the president's domestic agenda through Congress.
Can these new leadership members do something like that next year? It's going to be a real challenge for him.
Well, So, Genie, this is an excellent point that Lester is making, this notion that by and large we do see the Democrats sticking together and ultimately whatever Hawking Jeffrey says is usually what goes. And I wonder if you think that is going to be as easy to maintain when they are being asked to take votes on things like securing the border, something that was a weak spot for Democrats, frontline Democrats especially, and the last election and likely will be again in twenty twenty six.
Yeah, I think we've seen Hakim Jeffries emerge as a very strong leader, following you know, the suit of Nancy Pelosi, who's also you know, one of the best that we've had. And you know, the reality is is that he does have the respect of his caucus, and we've seen over and over again, in almost lockstep to Lester's point, that they do listen to his advice and that votes very
well for him. It's not going to be easy, but I will say it is easier obviously to be in the minority than it is to be in the majority. So you know, it may be a different story if they took over the majority, But because they're in the minority, I think they will stick together next year. And the reality is is that it is going to be so close next year that Mike Johnson is going to need them again and that's not going to sit well with people like Andy Biggs and Chip Roy and many others
on the Republican side. And the question is how does Donald Trump handle this particularly? How does he handle it when somebody like Elon Musk is controlling the largest megaphone maybe we have out there in terms of the Republican media, and when he shouts, everybody listens. That's going to be really fascinating to watch. Well.
Elon Musk's counterpart and in leading this new government Department of Government Efficiency, has just posted his thoughts on x vik Ramaswami, saying, quote, the last seventy two hours highlighted the positive impact that DOGE can have, but it also laid bare the massive lift ahead next year. We're ready for it, Lester, Both of Ake and Elon Musk aren't exactly ultra familiar with Washington. Do you really think they are ready for it?
No?
But I do like the way everyone is kind of dumping their hopes and dreams into the DOGE. Right. Oh, this problem will be fixed next year with DOGE. Oh, DOGE has a huge opportunity. DOGE has already affected things. DOSEH isn't really even a thing yet, it does certainly have some potential. Their real work won't be done for a year and a half. Will this still matter then? Will President Trump still have the same relationship with those two.
That's a big question. So I think it's mostly hopes and dreams right now, but it certainly could become reality if people actually sit down look at it. Interestingly, there was a Tom Cole article on the Wall Street Journal this morning talking about they're going to have to look at entitlements if they really want to get close to a balanced budget. There's real truth in that, and that's not really something Republicans want to tackle yet.
Well, when I was speaking with Congressman Beth Van Dyne just a moment ago, she was talking about how they said, yes, we're going to raise the debt ceiling, but we're going to cut two and a half trillion dollars in spending in order to offset that, and Megan schullly mathematically that probably doesn't work if you're going to not be touching Social Security and Medica, and as does not two point five trillion is more than the federal discussion your budget
on an annual basis. So to put it in perspective, the Defense Department is, you know, creeping up to a trillion when you factor in emergency spending, and everything else is dwarfed in comparison. So finding that means digging deep
into entitlements. And that's when I think you're going to see, particularly House members and senators who are up for election in twenty six really getting nervous because that Social Security is the third rail, and there are a lot of weird rules about how we can legislate on Social Security and whether or not it can be part of this budget deal, whether it has to be dealt with separately,
but it is. You know, when you're talking about entitlements, you're not just talking about Social Security, You're talking about Medicare, you're talking about Medicaid, and you're talking about veterans benefits, which is something that lawmakers are very loath to you know, send well. But that doesn't mean that Ramaswami and Musk might not recommend it. But at the end of the day, and Lester was alluding to this, they are not elected
members of the US government. They can only do recommendations. Technically. Have we not learned this week though, that their words ultimately can matter to legislation even before they've made their doge recommendations.
Yes and no. Right, so Musk has talted you know, look at the you know, fifteen hundred page bill. You know, versus this one hundred and forty or however many page bill it is, and looking at the differences between the size, the fact of the matter is the majority of that
spending is still in there. And if that is what DOGE is going after that one hundred and ten billion for farmers and for disaster aid, you know, tells you something that lawmakers were not going to cut that because that affects people's lives in their districts and in their states.
Absolutely, And Genie, we just have about a minute or two left here, but considering this is our last evening addition of balance and power of the year twenty twenty four, and we are it like this with a down to the wire vote basically trying to avert a government shutdown that the Senate has to still act on. Given everything that has gone down in this year, does this surprise you in the slightest that we ended up in this moment at the very end.
Of it, not at all, Although I am through that they did pass the government. It keeps it open. People can go home for the holidays, including you, Kaylee, who deserves a holiday and arrest. But you know, this is the one hundred and eighteenth That's how it's been from the very very start, and it has continued this way.
I would say I want to be optimistic and say the one hundred and nineteenth is going to be different, but mathematically, and this is a game of numbers, can't imagine how it could be that much different.
All right, final question to all three of you, Genie, will the Senate be able to pass this measure by midnight? Yes?
They will. Meghan just explained it.
Thank you Meghan, and Meghan your answer is still yes. I'm assuming I hope, so we all hope.
So.
Lester mumpson.
Final word to you, also yes, but there's going to be some votes on Lee and or Ram Paul amendments.
Megan predicted that one as well. Thank you so much to all three of you for joining me as we have worked through this breaking news in Congress as we work to avert a government shutdown. Megan Scully, who leads our capital influence team here in Washington, Genie Shanzeno, and Lester months in my political panel this evening, Thank you
so much again. The stopgap funding measure to keep the government funded through March fourteenth of next year has passed the House by a wide bipartisan margin, more Democrats putting up votes for it,