Press Staff Blog

SOTU Round-up: "Unity — On His Terms" Edition

The White House billed the President’s State of the Union address as unifying and a call for bipartisanship, but – no surprise here – it fell short of that.

Who saw this one coming? (Spoiler: Us!)

Remember when Republicans said their tax law would spark a wave of business investment that would create jobs and raise wages?

President Trump: “TAX CUTS will increase investment in the American economy and in U.S. workers, leading to higher growth, higher wages, and more JOBS!” [Tweet, 12/16/17]

Stunned.

Here’s your shockingly out of touch Republican comment of the day (but it’s still early!). Perhaps this is why Republicans have yet to show any urgency to reopen the government?

Day 33

Today is Day 33 of the Trump shutdown, the longest in our nation’s history, and the impacts of the shutdown are growing. From undermining law enforcement efforts and delaying tax refunds to cutting off revenue for small businesses and putting vulnerable Americans at risk of being evicted, the shutdown is affecting Americans across the country. Take a look:

Trump Voters Blame Him for the Government Shutdown

In poll after poll, the American people hold President Trump responsible for the month-long government shutdown, and a recent Washington Post article points out that even his supporters are blaming him for the shutdown and urging him to re-open the government now. Key excerpts:

NYT: The Trump Shutdown is “Inflicting Far Greater Damage” on the Economy

The economic damage from the Trump shutdown is “inflicting far greater damage” than previously estimated, according to the President’s own economists. The New York Times explains the Council of Economic Advisers’ analysis shows how a prolonged shutdown could cause a recession. So, the President is not only making Americans less safe, but he’s also damaging our economy by refusing to reopen government while border negotiations continue. Key excerpts here:

Miss your flight? Thank the Trump Shutdown.

Yesterday, the President said: "When it comes to keeping the American people safe, I will never, ever back down." But shutting down the government for 25 days and putting undue stress on hardworking TSA agents who are forced to work without pay is not making Americans any safer. Instead, it’s putting them at risk and causing chaos at our nation’s airports. Read more about how the shutdown is impacting air travel here:

What happens when federal employees aren't on the job...

Wanted to be sure you saw this Politico article highlighting the wide-reaching impacts of the shutdown across the federal government – inspections and investigations have been halted; tax refunds are delayed; furloughed judges mean the immigration courts backlog is worsening; and more. Key excerpts:

The latest polling...

Doesn’t look great for President Trump and Congressional Republicans as they refuse to reopen government and end the Trump shutdown.

WSJ: Shutdown Pinches Economic Growth

This shutdown is not just hurting federal employees or government contractors or small businesses that operate near federal agencies. It is having a wide-ranging, negative impact on our economy and affecting Americans across the country.