Free Republic

Rachel Reeves has blamed sexism for the mayhem surrounding her Budget as she begged Labour MPs to get behind the plans. The Chancellor made a desperate appeal to restive backbenchers as she prepares to deliver the long-awaited package tomorrow. Ms Reeves admitted that workers are looking down the barrel of another round of tax hikes, despite her explicit pledge a year ago that she would not return for more.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Wednesday signaled an end to further Democrat shutdown shenanigans with a move to go back to what he called the "old-fashioned way" of funding the government. Speaking to members of the press, Thune said that the "path to a stronger, safer America" is getting funding bills passed through the traditional appropriations process "instead of continuing resolutions." The Schumer Shutdown, which brought chaos to American airports, cut funding to SNAP benefits, etc., ended after 43 days. 🚨NOW — Senator John Thune says government is going to operate the OLD—FASHIONED way!By passing appropriation bills instead...

If you were told a business increased their staff headcount by 5% over four years but its payroll rose 24% over that time, all the while withholding the names of 39% of their staff, would you invest in that company? Unlikely. But that’s just what the United State government does, funded by taxpayer dollars and operating as if accountable to no one. Open the Books analyzed the FY 2024 payroll records of executive agencies and found that 2.9 million federal employees were paid $270 billion, compared to 2.8 million employees paid $217 billion in FY 2020. While the civilian employee...

The House on Wednesday passed a funding bill that will end the government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, by a margin of 222-209. President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign the bill later Wednesday. The legislation will fund the government through Jan. 30 and provide funding for some government agencies for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Voters in Texas' capital overwhelmingly rejected a plan to raise taxes to pay millions for homeless services last week, but that isn't stopping local leaders from looking for the money in other places. The City of Austin is now proposing cutting millions in funding from the fire and ambulance services to give it the city's unsuccessful program for people on the streets. 'It's a slap in the face because they really aren't listening, and they really are steamrolling, whatever they want to do, and continuously trying to undermine the public will,' local public safety advocate Cleo Petricek told Daily Mail...

COPPELL, Texas - Dozens of parents are speaking against a Coppell ISD proposal to permanently close an elementary school. The district says it needs to cut costs, and parents say their school is being unfairly targeted.

Johnson's House Republicans passed the current "Clean" Continuing Resolution "on or about" Sept 19. It extends last year's 2024 Budget until 21 Nov. After that extension - which should not be needed anyway, but that is an editorial remark - the next budget was to be "discussed and voted upon" by both House and Senate, and life would continue under Trump's Big Beautiful Bill and its guidelines through the 2026 fiscal years. But. Johnson's House Committees have not been in Washington in regular session since that CR was passed. What is the status of their "continuing budget proposals and discussions?...

It seems to me that what’s been lost in the discussion about the fedgov shutdown is the fact that this country has been operating under “omnibus” CRs for some time. The proper appropriations process seems to be a forgotten function of Congress, what do we pay these people for? Even under Republican control, there seems to be no desire to do what should be done regarding funding the government; not even “King” Trump has spoken on this issue (as far as I know), and nothing from loudmouths such as Rand Paul, Tom Massie, or MTG, why? Of course, this how...

On Fox News this morning, President Donald Trump ripped Democrat lawmakers who have kept the government shutdown for 19 days. He said that they have “Trump Derangement Syndrome." “We have a deal. We just want an extension. And the reason we want an extension is because you can’t make a deal with these people. They’re lunatics. They’re gone crazy. They’re crazed people. Trump derangement syndrome. There really is that disease. At first, I found it to be amusing. Now, I find there really is - they want $1.5 trillion for health care for illegal aliens. If we do that, it...

The Federal Budget Balance, a key indicator of the health of the U.S. economy, has reported a significant swing into surplus territory. The actual figure for the month came in at $198.0 billion, a stark contrast to the previous month’s deficit of $345.0 billion. This substantial change in the budget balance has exceeded all expectations. Analysts had been forecasting a continued deficit, making this surplus a welcome surprise. The shift from a hefty deficit to a surplus indicates a robust increase in the federal government’s income relative to its expenditure for the reported month. The surplus of $198.0 billion not...

WASHINGTON (AP) — With every passing day of the government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed or working without pay face mounting financial strain. And now they are confronting new uncertainty with the Trump administration’s promised layoffs. “Luckily I was able to pay rent this month,” said Peter Farruggia, a furloughed federal worker. “But for sure I am going to have bills that are going to go unpaid this month, and I really don’t have many options.” Farruggia is the head of the American Federation of Government Employees local representing employees at the Centers for Disease Control and...

CBO’s review of the 2025 fiscal year shows Republicans have every reason to reject Democrats’ demands to end the ‘Schumer Shutdown.’Are you the kind of person who likes to spend $4 for every $3 you take in? If so, your financial management “skills” might qualify you to run for Congress. With people like that running the show, is it any wonder that interest costs on our national debt surpassed $1 trillion last year for the first time ever?The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) review of the fiscal year that just concluded on Sept. 30 provides one of many reasons why Republicans...

Rachel Reeves could impose a 'one-off' tax on wealth to appease militant Labour MPs, according to a report today. In a major analysis ahead of next month's Budget, the Institute for Fiscal Studies warns the Chancellor against imposing a permanent wealth tax, saying similar attempts have failed around the world. But the think-tank says a 'one-off' raid would be far harder for the rich to dodge as they would have no opportunity to move their assets.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would hold discussions on which “Democrat Agencies” should be cut amid the ongoing government shutdown. Trump said he will meet with Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, who oversees the allocation of federal funds. The shutdown started on Wednesday after the Senate failed to pass a temporary government funding bill backed by Republicans. “I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those...

Democrats and their Fake News allies want you to believe it’s all a lie that Democrats shut down the government over free healthcare for illegal aliens.Except that’s exactly what happened. As Vice President JD Vance said, “It’s not something that we made up. It’s not a talking point. It is in the text of the bill that they initially gave to us to reopen the government.”As the White House makes clear in a new memo, Democrats’ unserious proposal takes extraordinary efforts to accommodate illegal aliens while repealing reforms that strengthen healthcare for American citizens.Here’s what you need to know:FACT: Democrats’...

The Trump administration has frozen about $18 billion for infrastructure projects in New York City to ensure that funding is not “flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles,” a top official said Wednesday. The funding is earmarked for the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Avenue Subway project, said Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. Vought announced the freeze in posts on the social media site X. * * *

WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned congressional Democrats on Tuesday that allowing the federal government to shut down at midnight would allow his administration to take "irreversible" actions including shutting down programs important to them. "We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like," Trump said in remarks to reporters from the White House Oval Office."You all know Russell Vought," Trump added, referring to the director of the Office...

Cracks are starting to form in the Senate Democratic caucus over whether to hold the line against a seven-week clean government funding stopgap passed by the House, according to Democratic sources who say a threat by President Trump to lay off thousands of federal workers is changing the Democratic political calculus on a shutdown. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), who faces a potential primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in 2028, has made it clear he won’t vote for the House-passed GOP stopgap, but centrists in his caucus are looking for a way to avoid a catastrophic shutdown....

It is sadly humorous to me, but not surprising, that Elizabeth Guevara, writing for Investopedia, can only seem to offer one solution for young people considering college, now that there is a cap on available federal student loans. From a new article via Yahoo Finance: New Student Loan Limits May Force More Borrowers to Take Out Private LoansThe ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ will restrict the amount of federal student loans available to college students next year. Students may have to take out riskier private loans to cover the rest of their schooling. The average medical graduate student will not be...

BREAKING: The Supreme Court sides with the Trump administration, allowing it to block $4 billion in Congress-approved foreign aid spending. “A federal judge had previously ruled that the administration would have to spend the funds by the end of the month, but the Supreme Court's decision puts that on hold.”