Steven S. Smith

by Steven S. Smith — Reposted by David R. Miller

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Unconstitutional. Massively unconstitutional.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 4h

President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.

Trump Signs Memo Expanding His Authority to Spend Federal Money

The president gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wide authority to repurpose funds to pay members of the military without approval from Congress, which has the sole constitutional authority to decide federal spending.

nyti.ms

20 68

Reposted by Steven S. Smith, Elizabeth Saunders, Rebecca Solnit , and 11 more Steven S. Smith, Elizabeth Saunders, Rebecca Solnit, Will Jennings, Tom Clark, John Horgan, Joseph Schafer, David R. Miller, Aaron Sojourner, James Goodwin, Michael Jones‐Correa, Andrew Rudalevige, Nathan Richardson, Stephen A. Meserve

The New York Times

@nytimes.com

President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.

Trump Signs Memo Expanding His Authority to Spend Federal Money

The president gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wide authority to repurpose funds to pay members of the military without approval from Congress, which has the sole constitutional authority to decide federal spending.

nyti.ms

320 130 260

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Here's hoping IU relieves David Tolchinsky of his duties as dean.

2

Reposted by Steven S. Smith, Rebecca Solnit, David R. Miller , and 1 more Steven S. Smith, Rebecca Solnit, David R. Miller, Brian Jm Quinn

Bobby Kogan

@bbkogan.bsky.social

Trump's mechanism to pay the troops during the shutdown is by far the most illegal budgetary action he's taken as POTUS, potentially setting the stage to break everything.

It's also needless because Congress would easily pass a troop pay bill if Johnson were willing to gavel in.

Long thread.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/10/national-security-presidential-memorandum-nspm-8/

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Reposted by Steven S. Smith, Nicole Guenther Discenza

Eric Deggans

@edeggans.bsky.social

After years spent there learning the craft of journalism, I could not imagine a world where officials at the Indiana University Media School ordered the school newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student, not to print any news. Yet another sad development at a diminishing program. READ: loom.ly/kVhquyk

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS: IU fires student media director after he refused to censor the IDS

Indiana University directed the IDS to stop printing news.

loom.ly

10 48 180

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Apparently, no controls for college experience, education, income, age, etc. & framing matters. Asking abt quality of education & research in medicine, quantum computing, finance, engineering, nursing, AI, etc., might get different responses than Qs about expressing pol views or paying for school.

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

I bet you'll see me. I'm none of those things.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13h

Johnson: "We call it the Hate America Rally that will happen Saturday. Let's see who shows up for that. I bet you you'll see Hamas supporters, I bet you'll see antifa types, I bet you'll see Marxists on full display, people who don't want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic"

1 6

Reposted by Steven S. Smith, Michael A. Clemens, Eric Goldman , and 6 more Steven S. Smith, Michael A. Clemens, Eric Goldman, Robert Black, David R. Miller, Ann Bartow, Simon Lester, Dan Immergluck, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar.com

Johnson: "We call it the Hate America Rally that will happen Saturday. Let's see who shows up for that. I bet you you'll see Hamas supporters, I bet you'll see antifa types, I bet you'll see Marxists on full display, people who don't want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic"

960 210 1.1K

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Of course, the Rs have not shown that a they can move appropriations bills. Even the House has passed only 3 of 12 regular approps bills. If Rs get a CR, their inability to settle intra- and inter-party disagreements will be exposed again. At best, we'll be living with a year-long CR. Taking bets.

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

The (a) mid-decade redistricting games and (b) twisted arguments about congressional districting, for decades and in this morning's Court arguments, make a strong case for proportional representation in the House.

1 4

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Like most of Trump's tariffs, this is a game of in which there can be no winners over the long run. Vengeance is a selfish, short-sighted, loser's game. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump Halts Billions in Grants for Democratic Districts During Shutdown

The Trump administration has frozen or canceled nearly $28 billion primarily located in Democratic-led districts, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

www.nytimes.com

1 5

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Soybeans: DJT imposes illegal tariffs; China retaliates and buys no beans; Argentina grabs China market while Trump bails out its govt; USDA's CCC is broke; Trump might spend unappropriated tariff revenue on farmers; Rs whine; Ds put on ad campaign. Congress does nothing. Americans much worse off.

1 1

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Minneapolis-St Paul (MSP), Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), Portland (PDX), Los Angeles (LAX), Phoenix (PHX), and Cleveland (CLE), Spokane....How about DCA? BWI?

4

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Nicely done!

Ben Yoel @benyoel.bsky.social · 2d

@liampert.bsky.social, @mattgrossmann.bsky.social, and I are thrilled to launch SenateData, a new repository pertaining to the US Senate. We have variables on facets like bills, and members, including original data on senator characteristics and an associated R package. github.com/IPPSR/Senate...

GitHub - IPPSR/SenateData: SenateData: A Functional Tool for the SenateData Dataset

SenateData: A Functional Tool for the SenateData Dataset - IPPSR/SenateData

github.com

2 1 6

Reposted by Steven S. Smith, Robb Willer, Mark J. Brandt , and 3 more Steven S. Smith, Robb Willer, Mark J. Brandt, Justin H. Kirkland, Brian Keegan, Matt Grossmann

Ben Yoel

@benyoel.bsky.social

@liampert.bsky.social, @mattgrossmann.bsky.social, and I are thrilled to launch SenateData, a new repository pertaining to the US Senate. We have variables on facets like bills, and members, including original data on senator characteristics and an associated R package. github.com/IPPSR/Senate...

GitHub - IPPSR/SenateData: SenateData: A Functional Tool for the SenateData Dataset

SenateData: A Functional Tool for the SenateData Dataset - IPPSR/SenateData

github.com

4 22 51

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Just asked: Are congressional Republicans republican? Just answered: They certainly are not operating in the tradition of checking the power of autocrats.

4

by Barry C. Burden — Reposted by Steven S. Smith

Barry Burden

@bcburden.bsky.social

Only 3 states are represented by senators of opposing parties -- the lowest number of split delegations in the 100+ years that senators have been directly elected.

Only way it goes lower next year is if Susan Collins loses and Dems hold all of their seats.

1 4

Reposted by Steven S. Smith

Paul Waldman

@paulwaldman.bsky.social

These two things are true at the same time:

1. Republicans don't care about health care

2. They may still try to destroy Obamacare once and for all

Remember, they've got a reconciliation bill next year, with no filibuster.

My latest at Public Notice: www.publicnotice.co/p/republican...

Republicans are completely full of it on healthcare

And it becomes more obvious every time they talk about it.

www.publicnotice.co

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by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

So the Founders provided for approval by the House, too, and checked by the president and courts. You're saying that was inadequate and the Senate had to invent supermajority cloture.

1

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Don't be fooled by claims of commitments to procedural principles or Senate tradition. This is bare-knuckle politics and partisan calculation.

3

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

"If the Democrats had won the majority, they probably would've tried to nuke the filibuster. And then you'd have four new senators from Puerto Rico and DC, you'd have a packed Supreme Court, you'd have abortion on demand"

2 1

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Thune, pushing back on R demands to nuke supermajority cloture on the CR, details what he thinks should be the decisive argument for any R against simple-majority rule in the Senate:

1 1

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Too weak to succeed.

CNN @cnn.com · 4d

Top Republicans in Congress will take a massive gamble on shutdown politics in the coming days: GOP leaders will not step in to prevent missed paychecks to the military.

GOP leaders steadfast in shutdown stance despite rising pressure inside party | CNN Politics

Top Republicans in Congress will take a massive gamble on shutdown politics in the coming days: GOP leaders will not step in to prevent missed paychecks to the military.

www.cnn.com

3

by Steven S. Smith

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Time for @SenBillCassidy to do something. Dems, add the CDC to your list of policies that must be addressed in the CR. Gutting the CDC must be stopped by Congress…now.

2 3

Reposted by Steven S. Smith

CNN

@cnn.com

Top Republicans in Congress will take a massive gamble on shutdown politics in the coming days: GOP leaders will not step in to prevent missed paychecks to the military.

GOP leaders steadfast in shutdown stance despite rising pressure inside party | CNN Politics

Top Republicans in Congress will take a massive gamble on shutdown politics in the coming days: GOP leaders will not step in to prevent missed paychecks to the military.

www.cnn.com

130 180 610

Reposted by Steven S. Smith, Nancy Kanwisher, Michael Wagner , and 11 more Steven S. Smith, Nancy Kanwisher, Michael Wagner, Benjamin Mason Meier, Elizabeth Stokoe, Lesley A. Hall, David R. Miller, Scott A. Imberman, Els Torreele, Erin O’Donnell, Kent Johnson, Richard M. Carpiano, Jason Williams, Timothy D. McBride

Angie Rasmussen

@angierasmussen.bsky.social

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

520 6.2K 14K

by Steven S. Smith — Reposted by David R. Miller

Steven S Smith

@profstevensmith.bsky.social

Many scholars and some senators have worked hard to straighten out twisted accounts of the Founders and the filibuster. Today's Senate Repubs can argue in favor of supermajority rules, but no one should believe their deliberately distorted, self-serving accounts of Senate history.