DC Democrat 🪷 🌊🌊🌊 #FreeDC #DC51

US federal shutdown enters sixth day as threat of layoffs looms WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government shutdown entered its sixth day on Monday, with President Donald Trump's Republicans and congressional Democrats still at an impasse and the White House threatening to ramp up pressure by ordering mass layoffs of federal workers. The Republican-led Senate was slated to vote again on dueling measures to fund federal agencies, including a Republican stopgap bill approved by the House of Representatives that would fund operations through November 21, and a Democratic alternative.

US federal shutdown enters sixth day as threat of layoffs looms

Stop Trump! Show your support with a contribution.

Medicaid Cuts Kill

🔻900 billion cuts to Medicaid
🔻16 million lose their healthcare
🔻Hundreds of hospitals close
🔻Hundreds of nursing homes close

Trump must be stopped!

Show your support with a donation and Please Retweet!

....

The National Failure at the Heart of the Jeffrey Epstein Story It is a great challenge to pay sustained attention to any one of the onslaught of moral or legal indignities unfolding in this moment.

The National Failure at the Heart of the Jeffrey Epstein Story

Stop Trump! Show your support with a contribution.

Medicaid Cuts Kill

🔻900 billion cuts to Medicaid
🔻16 million lose their healthcare
🔻Hundreds of hospitals close
🔻Hundreds of nursing homes close

Trump must be stopped!

Show your support with a donation and Please Retweet!

Scoop: White House memo says furloughed federal workers aren't entitled to back pay Furloughed federal workers aren't guaranteed compensation for their forced time off during the government shutdown, according to a draft White House memo described to Axios by three sources. Why it matters: If the White House acts on that legal analysis, it would dramatically escalate President Trump's pressure on Senate Democrats to end the week-old shutdown by denying back pay to as many as 750,000 federal workers after the shutdown. Trump wants the Democrats to back a continuing resolution to fund the government with no strings about healthcare subsidies attached. "This would not have happened if Democrats voted for the clean CR," a senior administration official said. The big picture: Under Trump, the executive branch is grabbing more power than ever — a trend that's accelerating during the shutdown that began last week. Zoom in: At issue is the ''Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019" that Trump signed during the last government shutdown, which lasted a record 35 days. Called GEFTA, the law has been widely interpreted as ensuring that furloughed workers automatically would be compensated after future shutdowns. But the new White House memo from the Office of Management and Budget argues that GEFTA has been misconstrued or, in the words of one source, is "deficient" because it was amended nine days later, on Jan. 25, 2019. "Does this law cover all these furloughed employees automatically? The conventional wisdom is: Yes, it does. Our view is: No, it doesn't," a senior White House official said. Friction point: The new OMB analysis is a major departure from the administration's own guidance issued by the Council of Economic Advisers this month and the Office of Personnel Management last month. Both said furloughed workers should get automatic back pay after the shutdown. "OMB is in charge," a senior White House official said. The fine print: The White House's stance revolves around the law's amended version, which added a phrase saying furloughed workers shall be compensated "subject to the enactment of appropriations Acts ending the lapse." That's a technical phrase for shutdown. To the White House, that means money for those workers needs to be specifically appropriated by Congress. The joint resolution containing that amendment to the law specified that the U.S. government would pay "obligations incurred" during that 2019 shutdown. "If it [GEFTA] was self-executing" in future shutdowns, "why did Congress do that? It's precedent," the White House official said, calling any other interpretation "ridiculous." What they're saying: Those who represent federal workers or advocate on their behalf say the White House is misreading the clear intent of the law. "There is no legal authority to support that interpretation of the statute," said Nekeisha Campbell, labor attorney with Alan Lescht & Associates. "When the language of a statute is plain, courts must apply it except in the rare circumstance when there is a clearly expressed legislative intent to the contrary, or when a literal application would frustrate the statute's purpose or lead to an absurd result." "The law here is quite clear. The caveat is, if you follow the law," said Sam Berger, senior fellow at the Center for Policy and Budget Priorities. He called the amended language a simple recognition of the appropriations process, not a restriction on compensating furloughed workers. Between the lines: The White House believes that although furloughed workers aren't guaranteed back pay unless specified by Congress, non-furloughed government employees who are now working without pay are automatically entitled to back pay after the shutdown. State of play: The White House analysis of the law reflects the administration's multipronged effort to make the shutdown unbearable for Democrats. Federal workers overwhelmingly made campaign contributions to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris last year, Trump Republicans note. The furlough of hundreds of thousands of workers each day follows the administration's widespread, DOGE-led cuts to the federal workforce earlier this year. "This is not being done simply as a pain-point for Democrats," a second senior administration official told Axios. "We're seeking clarity. We believe the existing language is unclear. And the administration is looking for clarity." OMB Director Russ Vought has an expansive view of executive authority that has tested the constitutional limits of the president's powers (successfully so far). Vought's office has outlined how the administration could conduct mass firings of federal workers as a consequence of the shutdown — which critics say would be illegal. Trump posted a video Friday comparing Vought to the Grim Reaper. The Supreme Court last week gave Trump a green light to withhold congressionally authorized foreign aid money under what's called a "pocket rescission" that Vought pushed. After the shutdown began last Wednesday, Vought also announced the administration is withholding as much as $28 billion in infrastructure and energy-related projects in mostly Democratic states and cities, including New York City, home to the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate. Another Trump adviser said the GOP-led Congress is deferring more to the executive branch at the same time the Supreme Court is, emboldening the president. "Trump will take his chances in court," the adviser said. "Why not?" This story has been updated with context including the positions of the Council of Economic Advisers and the Office of Personnel Management.

White House memo says furloughed federal workers aren't entitled to back pay

New Wason Center Poll of Virginia: Spanberger Leads Earle Sears 52%-40%; Hashmi Leads Reid 48%-37%; Jones Leads Miyares 48%-41% See below for a press release and highlights from the new Virginia poll by CNU's Wason Center.  A few past polls by the Wason Center include: a January 2025 poll which had Spanberger up 5 points; a October 23, 2024 poll which had Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) up 1 point over Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal...

New Wason Center Poll of Virginia: Spanberger Leads Earle Sears 52%-40%; Hashmi Leads Reid 48%-37%; Jones Leads Miyares 48%-41%

Blue Victory War Room: "Win Elections, Rebuild Democracy" with Swing Left · Mobilize *** Zoom Link available in Event Calendars and Confirmation Emails *** Follow This Week's Priority Links: https://linktr.ee/BlueVictoryWarRoom # # # # # # # # # # # # Join Blue Victory War Room for a discussion of what is next for democrats as we plan to fight back against Donald Trump by winning elections and rebuilding democracy. Network For Progress Founder and Blue Victory Event Host Jim McBride is Swing Left Community Leader for the National Capital Region (DC/MD/VA) and Nationwide. Jim previously served as a Harris-Walz & DNC & Biden-Harris Community Leader, Communications Director of the DC/MD/VA Grassroots Coordinating Committee. He also served as the 1st Volunteer Database Coodinator for Virginia For Obama and founded Generation Obama-DC/MD/VA Chapter in 2007. FOLLOW US: https://www.facebook.com/bluevictorywarroom https://www.facebook.com/groups/bluevictorywarroom https://twitter.com/bluevictoryusa

Join Blue Victory War Room for a discussion of what is next for democrats as we plan to fight back against Donald Trump by winning elections and rebuilding democracy.

Poll Observer Training · Spanberger for Governor The Democratic Party of Virginia Coordinated Campaign’s Voter Protection team is working to ensure that every voter has access to the polls and that every vote is counted. To accomplish this, we need your help! Please join us for one of our trainings to be a poll observer for Early Vote and Election Day. Poll observers are our eyes and ears on the ground at polling places across the state on Election Day. They identify potential issues at the polls and work us and election officials to protect voters. We will train, assign, and support you to make sure that you are as prepared and effective as possible on your Election Day or Early Vote shift. You must attend at least one training to be a poll observer. If you have any questions, please contact us at voterprotection@opvavictory.org.

@VADemocrats need your help to ensure everyone has access to the polls and every vote is counted.

Volunteer Poll Observers flag potential issues at polling sites and work with the party to protect voters.

Sign up here for online training:

David Hogg's PAC is a Massive Scam. Quelle surprise. Support our cause! Stop David Hogg!

David Hogg's PAC is a Massive Scam!

Hogg launched Leaders We Deserve to support primaries against sitting Democrats, but most of the funds went to paying consultants.

Donate here to save Democratic incumbents from bad actors like David Hogg!

Poll Observer Training · Spanberger for Governor The Democratic Party of Virginia Coordinated Campaign’s Voter Protection team is working to ensure that every voter has access to the polls and that every vote is counted. To accomplish this, we need your help! Please join us for one of our trainings to be a poll observer for Early Vote and Election Day. Poll observers are our eyes and ears on the ground at polling places across the state on Election Day. They identify potential issues at the polls and work us and election officials to protect voters. We will train, assign, and support you to make sure that you are as prepared and effective as possible on your Election Day or Early Vote shift. You must attend at least one training to be a poll observer. If you have any questions, please contact us at voterprotection@opvavictory.org.

@VADemocrats need your help to ensure everyone has access to the polls and every vote is counted.

Volunteer Poll Observers flag potential issues at polling sites and work with the party to protect voters.

Sign up here for online training:

......

....

David Hogg's PAC is a Massive Scam. Quelle surprise. Support our cause! Stop David Hogg!

David Hogg's PAC is a Massive Scam!

Hogg launched Leaders We Deserve to support primaries against sitting Democrats, but most of the funds went to paying consultants.

Donate here to save Democratic incumbents from bad actors like David Hogg!

Keep up the fight!

Donate to Free Portland and Please Retweet!

https://secure.actbl...
.

Poll Observer Training · Spanberger for Governor The Democratic Party of Virginia Coordinated Campaign’s Voter Protection team is working to ensure that every voter has access to the polls and that every vote is counted. To accomplish this, we need your help! Please join us for one of our trainings to be a poll observer for Early Vote and Election Day. Poll observers are our eyes and ears on the ground at polling places across the state on Election Day. They identify potential issues at the polls and work us and election officials to protect voters. We will train, assign, and support you to make sure that you are as prepared and effective as possible on your Election Day or Early Vote shift. You must attend at least one training to be a poll observer. If you have any questions, please contact us at voterprotection@opvavictory.org.

Volunteer Poll Observers identify potential issues at polling sites and work with the party to protect voters.

Sign up here for online training:

Poll Observer Training · Spanberger for Governor The Democratic Party of Virginia Coordinated Campaign’s Voter Protection team is working to ensure that every voter has access to the polls and that every vote is counted. To accomplish this, we need your help! Please join us for one of our trainings to be a poll observer for Early Vote and Election Day. Poll observers are our eyes and ears on the ground at polling places across the state on Election Day. They identify potential issues at the polls and work us and election officials to protect voters. We will train, assign, and support you to make sure that you are as prepared and effective as possible on your Election Day or Early Vote shift. You must attend at least one training to be a poll observer. If you have any questions, please contact us at voterprotection@opvavictory.org.

Volunteer Poll Observers identify potential issues at polling sites and work with the party to protect voters.

Sign up here for online training:

Broadway shows are picking Baltimore to launch national tours. Here’s why. Baltimore has become a launching pad for Broadway shows ready to hit the road. A recent state tax credit helps explain why.

Broadway shows are picking Baltimore to launch national tours. Here’s why.

President Biden raises his hand in a salute with VP Harris at his side.

Keep the faith. Spread the faith. 🗽

EXCLUSIVE: Top DHHS officials say that the Trump admin does not support the Coalition for Health AI.

The Coalition enlisted big names in health and tech to evaluate artificial intelligence tools that are now mostly unregulated.
.

Abigail Spanberger for Virginia Governor Show your support with a contribution.

Abigail Spanberger is poised to become the Virginia's first woman governor.

A victory here will show the country the Democrats are fighting back against Trump's Project 2025 agenda.

Please donate and share this link!

Support Virginia Democrats! Show your support with a contribution.

Virginia's off-year elections are coming up. This is the first chance for voters to weigh in on Trump's 2nd term.

Democrats are fighting to maintain razor-thin legislative majorities.

Donate to @VADems and Please Retweet

Democrats MUST retake the House Majority to hold MAGA accountable Show your support with a contribution.

It's not too early to focus on the 2026 midterms. We MUST take back the House and Senate majorities!

Democratic incumbents need our support so they have funding and resources to fight the GOP!

Please donate and share this link!

F.D.A. Approves a New Generic Abortion Pill (Gift Link)