Republican Shutdown Looms

It’s not to late to come join us for our second clean up effort on our adopted section of M-26, happening tonight at 5:30 PM. (The Rain Date is Thursday, September 28th.)

Our stretch of highway runs from just past Goat Hill Rd (heading out of Ripley) on through Dollar Bay. Parking is available at the Adopt-A-Highway sign just past Goat Hill Rd. We provide gloves, safety vests and bags.

Join us in continuing this very worthwhile community service. We hope to see you there!

While Michigan’s state legislature has racked up an impressive number of accomplishments so far this year under unified Democratic leadership (with more to come), the story of Republicans at the Federal level is quite the opposite.

In the US House, Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy is a weak leader, faced with multiple divisions within his party. The House Republicans are split between five factions at war with each other. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has referred to these factions as the “Five Families”. This is a nickname that apparently the House Republicans have adopted among themselves - as if they think they are Mafia crime syndicates. Perhaps they are.

The looming shutdown of the Federal government is the latest sign of chaos and disarray among Republicans. Rumors abound that “the former guy” is behind the push for shutdown, under the mistaken belief that if the government shuts down the criminal cases against him will have to stop for lack of funding.

Republicans played a game of chicken with President Biden earlier in the year until he succeeded in getting them to blink and negotiated a budget deal to halt their threat of defaulting on the country’s debt.

Now Republican factions in the House want to renege on that deal, thinking they can somehow force the Senate and President Biden to accept more conservative concessions. But what exactly they want is not even fully defined or agreed among Republicans yet, with less than a week to go before shutdown.

It might be possible, with bipartisan support, that enough time is left to enact a band-aid temporary spending measure and so avoid shutdown for now. But it seems highly unlikely a full budget will pass the House, align with the Senate budget, and be signed by the President any time soon.

That is unless Speaker McCarthy (or others in his party) swallows hard and reaches across the aisle to negotiate a solution with Democratic colleagues. Can the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus find a way out of the mess the Republicans have made? Who knows, but let’s hope that if a shutdown occurs it doesn’t last too long before Republicans finally come to their senses.

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“We are Democrats because we believe that good government must rely upon and strengthen the bonds that make us a society: recognizing the richness of our diverse heritage, preserving what we have been given, and leaving to posterity a legacy greater than that which we received.” - HCDP Platform Preamble

Just a week before his 99th birthday, and after having been in home hospice care since February, former President Jimmy Carter, along with his former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, put in an appearance at the Peanut Festival Saturday, in their hometown of Plains, Georgia.

The Carters are the longest-married First Couple in the nation’s history (77 years as of July of this year), and President Carter is the longest-lived former President ever. After President Carter entered home hospice Mrs. Carter was reported to be suffering from dementia.

The couple made their way in an SUV at the event, waving to Festival-goers. This ABC News web page includes local coverage of the couple’s appearance.

The Republicans in the US House may not be able to get things done, but the President and Vice President were busy this past week - busy listening to young people and acting on what they’ve heard.

On Wednesday the President announced the formation of the American Climate Corps, a workforce training and service initiative aimed at preparing American youth for jobs in clean energy and climate resilience. Signups for the new program launched the same day at whitehouse.gov/climatecorps, while recruiting will follow over the coming year.

On Friday, the President and VP, along with Rep. Maxwell Frost, announced the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, just the latest executive action the President has taken to combat gun violence. VP Harris will head the new office.

Because of these forward looking actions this week we are highlighting an Instagram reel from the national Democratic party.

The reel features Rep. Frost, the youngest serving US Representative, and the former national organizing director for March for Our Lives. He says:

The Michigan legislature entered the third week of the fall session last Tuesday, and the UAW strike entered its second week on Friday. While Democrats are still advancing their agenda, the news this past week was mixed - with trouble on the agenda for the Reproductive Health Act.

• Detroit Democratic Rep. Karen Whitsett has gone on record saying she will vote against key bills that are part of the Democratic 11-bill package of abortion reforms, also being called The Reproductive Health Act. In the House, all 56 Democratic members are needed to approve the legislation, as Republican support is not currently expected. A spokeswoman for Speaker Joe Tate’s office indicated any concern is premature, saying “There have been many issues that have come before the House that the speaker has been successful in getting 56 votes for and I don't doubt his ability to do that for any item we bring on the board." MORE: The Detroit News

• On Wednesday the Senate Labor Committee moved to advance two bills to the floor. The bills would repeal both a ban on local project labor agreements, and the infamous “Death Star” law signed by former Governor Rick Snyder in 2015. That law preempts local governments’ ability to set labor standards, including higher-than-state-minimum wage and other benefits. Business groups expressed opposition to the repeal bills. More: Michigan Advance

• Governor Whitmer signed three new bills this week that update portions of existing law and allow for her previously approved legislation outlawing any form of child marriage in Michigan to take effect. One bill deletes the provision that had allowed 16- and 17-year-old children to consent to marriage and obtain a marriage license. The second prohibits so-called “secret marriages” involving minors, which are done when an official marriage record is sealed from public view. The third bill ensures that any minor who is currently married does not lose their spousal benefits, since the legislation in July effectively voided all existing marriages involving children. MORE: The Gander

• President Biden announced last Friday that he will “go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW” today. The exact location of his visit and whether he will actually picket were not confirmed by the White House. The President’s announcement came after the expansion of the strike by the UAW on Friday morning. At that time UAW leader Shawn Fain invited the President and other supporters to join the picket lines. MORE: Whio 7 News

• The “former guy” Donald Trump also announced last week that he would come to Michigan to speak to union workers. But when the location of his speech was announced it turned out to be at a non-union auto parts plant in Clinton Township, 50 miles from striking workers on the picket lines in Detroit. MORE: Meidas Touch Network

On a topic that’s not so good (perhaps depending on your viewpoint), the dysfunction within the Michigan GOP continues to make headlines.

HCDP Monthly Meetings: First Wednesday of each month at 7 PM, in the conference room at the Houghton Super 8 and by Zoom.

NEXT MEETING: OCTOBER 4TH

Wed 9/27

• The Houghton City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Meeting Agenda can be found in the Searchable Document Center of the Council's website.

Sun 10/1

• Sunday, October 1st marks the start of LGBTQ History Month. Originally organized by a high school teacher in Missouri who wanted to give his students better access to LGBTQ history, the month is now recognized in six countries and the city of Berlin. Learn more about LGBTQ History Month in this article from LGBTQNation.

Is there a community commemoration or event we should recognize that's of particular importance to you? Just send an email to [email protected].