A Really Long Time

It's been my practice to tease a couple of the people dearest to me, over their habit of dreading winter.  Each of them begins to do so on or about July 4th.  Seriously.

Another time-related event is, you should pardon the pun, just as bone-chilling, but so far in the future that I doubt it will cause even my BFFs any anxiety.

The Award for Toady of the Year (So Far) Goes to ...

Senator Lindsay Graham (R - SC) today surpassed any of his previous efforts to lecher les bottes de Donald Trump.  Graham urged Mr. Trump to declare a national emergency in order (in effect if not in actual, legal fact) to steal $$ from the already-allocated defense department budget to pay for his unicorn - I mean, his wall.

Will someone please remind each of these delusional individuals that the House of Representatives still has control of the purse-strings for the Federal government?

CAM

About a year ago, the Trump administration, with its usual complete lack of compassion, cancelled a program called CAM.

CAM, established in 2014 by the Obama administration (probably enough reason, in the minds of Stephen Miller and Donald Trump, to cancel it), was intended to help children fleeing gang violence in Central America.   Under CAM, asylum could be sought at a consulate of the United States, rather than requiring the individual in question to attempt to be granted such protection at a port of entry.

When the program was abruptly cancelled, almost 3,000 children had been admitted to our country under CAM.  These same kids, most of whom are indeed kids, that is, are still between the ages of 12 and 18, are now subject to deportation.

A Ginourmous Number

For every week that the Federal government remains in partial shutdown, the economy of the United States takes a punch to the gut.  Specifically, each such week removes $1.2 billion dollars from our national piggy-bank.

Here are three indications of the magnitude of the situation.

1. In accounting-speak, $1.2 billion looks like this:  $1,200,000,000.00
2. We're at Day 17 of the shutdown, which means we're at about Week #2.5
3. Which means further that the economy has, to this date and time (approximately 3:05 PM on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019),  lost  (2.5 * 1,200,000,000.00) or $6,007,000,000.00.

 

Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid

Ryan Costello is a former (as of 11/07/18) member of the House of Representatives.  Costello, an attorney and prosecutor from Chester County, represented the 6th PA District, and belongs to the ever-shrinking group of those I call "sane Republicans".  In an appearance on MSNBC yesterday, Costello offered his thoughts on how the current government shutdown will evolve.

Costello's view of the shape of things to come:

1. In about two weeks, Donald Trump will tire of waiting to get his way, and will declare a national emergency, thereby providing himself legal cover for building his beloved wall / fence / barrier without the approval of Congress.
2. Members of the House. especially the newly-strengthened Democratic caucus, will recognize their Constitutional duty to monitor the Executive branch's powers under the National Emergency Act,  As a result, the House will take Mr. Trump to Court to attempt to force him to follow the law, that is, to:

• ensure that prior emergency declarations would no longer be enforced
• activate emergency provisions of law via an emergency declaration on the condition that the President notifies Congress
• maintain records of all orders and regulations that proceed from use of emergency authority, and to regularly report the cost incurred to Congress

Such a case might take months to wend its way upward through the Federal judiciary.  Should that time frame prove accurate, the number of Federal government services that will close up shop will skyrocket.