Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 1d

This kind of reckless behavior is just more evidence of why Congress needs to include guardrails in 2026 funding bill.

www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

New Proposal Shows Congress Can Enact Guardrails to Ensure a Deal Is a Deal for 2026 Funding | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Republicans in Congress should be willing to include proposals like these in a 2026 funding agreement to ensure it is implemented consistent with the deal they reach.

www.cbpp.org

1 8

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 1d

Cutting staff who aren’t being paid during a shutdown clearly does not free up additional resources.

But if these cuts aren’t reversed they will have serious long-term consequences for critical programs.

1 1 5

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 1d

The Admin is claiming these cuts were required by the shutdown.

They weren’t.

This was their choice and it’s a bad one.

1 5 13

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 1d

This past Friday, the Trump Administration made a choice to cut support for vital services people depend on like education funding for children with special needs, financial services in underserved communities, and public health readiness.

🧵

1 13 20

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 5d

And this is why guardrails that provide greater confidence that funds Congress provides on a bipartisan basis will reach the communities they are intended to assist are so crucial to resolving the 2026 funding impasse.

www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

New Proposal Shows Congress Can Enact Guardrails to Ensure a Deal Is a Deal for 2026 Funding | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Republicans in Congress should be willing to include proposals like these in a 2026 funding agreement to ensure it is implemented consistent with the deal they reach.

www.cbpp.org

6 19

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 5d

The Admin’s actions have created an enormous roadblock for Congress to reach a bipartisan 2026 funding deal because lawmakers justifiably need to know that if they reach a deal that the President won’t unilaterally and unlawfully undo it.

2 5 16

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 5d

And these firings are only one way that the Admin has shredded the last bipartisan funding bill; it has also illegally canceled & frozen funding– eg for medical research, education, or mental health treatment -keeping it from reaching the people & communities it’s meant to serve.

2 1 9

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 5d

It’s worth remembering that the Administration has already engaged in large-scale firings, undermining the functioning of critical services that people depend on.

The 2025 bipartisan funding bill provided the $ needed for staff—the Admin chose to fire people anyway.

1 1 9

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 5d

Claims that the shutdown has forced their hand are false.

Nothing about a shutdown justifies these firings or makes them necessary. That’s why they haven’t happened in past shutdowns – including in the first Trump admin.

www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

Administration Plans for Mass Firings in a Shutdown Not Justified by Law or Prudent Management | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Raising the prospect of mass layoffs as direct retaliation if Democrats do not accede to the House Republicans’ short-term funding proposal is simply an Administration threat to hurt the American peop...

www.cbpp.org

1 8 27

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 5d

Firing federal employees during a shutdown is not only illegal but must be seen for what it is: blatant extortion.

The Trump Administration is using working people and their families as pawns in a power play with no concern for who gets hurt.

15 140 510

Reposted by Brendan Duke

Nicole Rapfogel @nicolerapfogel.bsky.social · 15d

NEW from @centeronbudget.bsky.social: Without Congressional action, premium tax credit enhancements will expire, raising costs for nearly all marketplace enrollees and putting millions of those with the lowest incomes at risk of becoming uninsured when they lose $0 premium plans.

People With Low Incomes May Lose $0 Premium Plans — a Lifeline — Unless Congress Acts | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Everyone should be able to get the health care they need to thrive, and for that to happen, it must be affordable, high quality, and easily accessible for all. Premium tax credit (PTC) enhancements...

www.cbpp.org

1 12 9

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 26d

These are all commonsense, reasonable approaches to dealing with an Administration that has broken the budget law the President signed in March and creating a pathway to reaching a bipartisan deal to fund the government for 2026.

10

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 26d

It also makes it harder for the Trump Administration to attempt illegal funding freezes, by eliminating OMB’s ability to hold up or place restrictive conditions on funding Congress has appropriated.

www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

Trump Administration Abused Spending Safeguards to Advance Its Agenda — and Illegally Hid Its Actions | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The recent release of 1,800 internal budget documents shows just how far the Trump Administration is willing to go to illegally withhold or restrict funding.

www.cbpp.org

1 10

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 26d

The bill would stop illegal unilateral rescissions, so-called “pocket rescissions,” by preventing the Administration from bypassing Congress and holding funding until it expires at the end of the year.

www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

“Pocket Rescissions” Are Illegal | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

A “pocket rescission” involves transmitting a rescission request so late in the fiscal year that the funds would expire before Congress acts. No such loophole exists. The Administration’s “pocket resc...

www.cbpp.org

1 7

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 26d

The bill would eliminate fast-track rescissions, ensuring that if 60 votes in the Senate are required to make a deal, 60 votes are required to change it.

1 8

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 26d

The Democrats' proposed short-term funding bill takes important steps to address the Administration’s abuses and ensure that, for next year’s funding, a deal is a deal. Here’s how…

1 2 3

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 26d

The Trump Administration’s continued efforts to break the 2025 funding deal reached in March are seriously undermining efforts to reach a funding agreement for 2026 because lawmakers need to know if they reach a deal, it will be kept. 🧵

3 22 53

Reposted by Brendan Duke

Erika McEntarfer @erikamcentarfer.bsky.social · Sep 5

The larger-than-usual downward revision last month was in large part driven by a negative skew in the job growth distribution among late reporting firms. That’s unusual, but it’s happened before when the pace of job growth slows rapidly. This print is more evidence that was the case

Ben Casselman @bencasselman.bsky.social · Sep 5

U.S. employers added 22,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3 percent.
Data: www.bls.gov/news.release...
Live coverage: www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09... #NumbersDay

Employment Situation Summary - 2025 M07 Results

www.bls.gov

9 140 380

Reposted by Brendan Duke

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · Sep 3

NEW analysis on the GOP megabill's core policy choice: each millionaire's tax cut is paid for by taking away health insurance from 4 people while reducing health care benefits from many others.

18 440 880

Reposted by Brendan Duke

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities @centeronbudget.bsky.social · Sep 3

The harmful Republican megabill will give millionaires tax cuts averaging $80,000 per household and take health insurance from 4.7 million people by 2034, trading health coverage for millions for big tax breaks for the wealthy. More from @brendanvduke.bsky.social: www.cbpp.org/blog/republi...

Republican Megabill’s Tax Cuts for Millionaires Are Financed by Taking Health Insurance From 4.7 Million People | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Recent data confirm a key choice at the heart of the harmful Republican megabill: tax cuts for the wealthy partially paid for by taking away health care coverage from millions of people. The tax cuts....

www.cbpp.org

10 10

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · Sep 3

All in all, ~5 million people's loss of health insurance is attributable to the Trump Administration and congressional Republicans' decision to cut taxes for millionaires.

www.cbpp.org/blog/republi...

Republican Megabill’s Tax Cuts for Millionaires Are Financed by Taking Health Insurance From 4.7 Million People | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Recent data confirm a key choice at the heart of the harmful Republican megabill: tax cuts for the wealthy partially paid for by taking away health care coverage from millions of people. The tax cuts....

www.cbpp.org

9 29

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · Sep 3

NEW analysis on the GOP megabill's core policy choice: each millionaire's tax cut is paid for by taking away health insurance from 4 people while reducing health care benefits from many others.

18 440 880

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · Aug 29

The Trump Administration’s new spending cuts package is clearly illegal. David Super & Sam Berger explain four reasons why.

www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

12 18

Reposted by Brendan Duke

Its-the-Atmosphere @its-the-atmosphere.bsky.social · Aug 12

the new BLS 'head' ... turns out he's quite the NAZI

his presentation given was in front of a multi panel painting of a ship ... a WARSHIP ...

the pride of the German Navy ... the BISMARCK

they air brushed out the German flag

8 44 140

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · Aug 11

An example of the explicit policy choice made by Congressional Republicans and Trump: they could have had zero cuts to Medicaid and SNAP while reducing the top 10%'s tax cut for the same fiscal cost.

The top 10% would've still gotten a tax cut.

They chose different.

2 15 30