MD congressmembers were illegally obstructed from oversight visits in July, but were finally permitted in August (as a federal judge in DC briefly ruled they and others were statutorily entitled, though w/OBBA funds and new legal arguments the obstruction resumed).
www.wmar2news.com/infocus/md-l...
www.wmar2news.com/infocus/md-l...
January 26, 2026 at 6:04 AM
MD congressmembers were illegally obstructed from oversight visits in July, but were finally permitted in August (as a federal judge in DC briefly ruled they and others were statutorily entitled, though w/OBBA funds and new legal arguments the obstruction resumed).
www.wmar2news.com/infocus/md-l...
www.wmar2news.com/infocus/md-l...
Today On (Amazon)(UK) (All-Star Superman 4K Blu-ray) £16.91 (Save 15%) (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1) iMDB (7.2) (Comic book) Cast: James Denton, Christina Hendricks, Anthony LaPaglia, Edward Asner, Obba Babatundé, Steve Blum www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_star_s...
All-Star Superman | Rotten Tomatoes
Discover reviews, ratings, and trailers for All-Star Superman on Rotten Tomatoes. Stay updated with critic and audience scores today!
www.rottentomatoes.com
January 26, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Today On (Amazon)(UK) (All-Star Superman 4K Blu-ray) £16.91 (Save 15%) (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1) iMDB (7.2) (Comic book) Cast: James Denton, Christina Hendricks, Anthony LaPaglia, Edward Asner, Obba Babatundé, Steve Blum www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_star_s...
Useful to remember that JD Vance said this money was the MOST important part of OBBA:
“Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.”
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/j...
“Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.”
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/j...
JD Vance: Sending ICE Billions Is More Important Than Your Grandma’s Medicaid
The vice president would like people to see the bigger picture.
www.vanityfair.com
January 25, 2026 at 11:50 PM
Useful to remember that JD Vance said this money was the MOST important part of OBBA:
“Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.”
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/j...
“Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.”
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/j...
Democrats can use appropriations language to restrict how OBBA funds are used, compel investigations (GAO reports to Congress), and require accountability.
The killings changed the politics. Will Senate Republicans argue for an unaccountable federal government killing citizens at will?
The killings changed the politics. Will Senate Republicans argue for an unaccountable federal government killing citizens at will?
January 25, 2026 at 11:49 PM
Democrats can use appropriations language to restrict how OBBA funds are used, compel investigations (GAO reports to Congress), and require accountability.
The killings changed the politics. Will Senate Republicans argue for an unaccountable federal government killing citizens at will?
The killings changed the politics. Will Senate Republicans argue for an unaccountable federal government killing citizens at will?
Useful to remember that JD Vance said this money was the MOST important part of OBBA:
“Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.”
“Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.”
January 25, 2026 at 11:49 PM
Useful to remember that JD Vance said this money was the MOST important part of OBBA:
“Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.”
“Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.”
Additional observation, via the great @bbkogan.bsky.social: Thanks to OBBA funding, Trump could run ICE at double capacity for all 3 remaining years even in a permanent shutdown
bsky.app/profile/bbko...
bsky.app/profile/bbko...
Congressional Republicans gave Trump a slush fund for ICE and CBP in the "Big Beautiful Bill." Tens of billions of dollars that is still usable even during a shutdown.
Democrats must make rescinding that money the price of any future govt funding, as Republicans did with IRS money from the IRA.
Democrats must make rescinding that money the price of any future govt funding, as Republicans did with IRS money from the IRA.
January 25, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Additional observation, via the great @bbkogan.bsky.social: Thanks to OBBA funding, Trump could run ICE at double capacity for all 3 remaining years even in a permanent shutdown
bsky.app/profile/bbko...
bsky.app/profile/bbko...
Never, ever forget that Schumer and Jeffries backed down on OBBA which funded this horror show. The Dems could’ve stopped this, but they had no backbone and voted for it.
January 25, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Never, ever forget that Schumer and Jeffries backed down on OBBA which funded this horror show. The Dems could’ve stopped this, but they had no backbone and voted for it.
If nobody paid taxes things would change quickly.
And never forget that Schumer and Jeffries backed down on OBBA which funded this horror show. The Dems could’ve stopped this, but they had no backbone and voted for it.
And never forget that Schumer and Jeffries backed down on OBBA which funded this horror show. The Dems could’ve stopped this, but they had no backbone and voted for it.
January 25, 2026 at 6:57 PM
If nobody paid taxes things would change quickly.
And never forget that Schumer and Jeffries backed down on OBBA which funded this horror show. The Dems could’ve stopped this, but they had no backbone and voted for it.
And never forget that Schumer and Jeffries backed down on OBBA which funded this horror show. The Dems could’ve stopped this, but they had no backbone and voted for it.
Similarly, the new bill sets caps on spending; OBBA set floors.
January 25, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Similarly, the new bill sets caps on spending; OBBA set floors.
I'm really curious what happens if the DHS bill gets split out as per the current ask. Feels like that one could get wedged in rock-and-a-hard corner of politics and DHS just runs on OBBA funds for a wildly long time.
January 25, 2026 at 6:02 PM
I'm really curious what happens if the DHS bill gets split out as per the current ask. Feels like that one could get wedged in rock-and-a-hard corner of politics and DHS just runs on OBBA funds for a wildly long time.
I don’t think it matters, unfortunately. Trump will just pull the money from somewhere else to make it go through.
It’s too little, too late. The Dems could have stopped this train wreck.
Never forget that Schumer & Jeffries caved on the OBBA which funded this monstrosity.
It’s too little, too late. The Dems could have stopped this train wreck.
Never forget that Schumer & Jeffries caved on the OBBA which funded this monstrosity.
January 25, 2026 at 2:56 PM
I don’t think it matters, unfortunately. Trump will just pull the money from somewhere else to make it go through.
It’s too little, too late. The Dems could have stopped this train wreck.
Never forget that Schumer & Jeffries caved on the OBBA which funded this monstrosity.
It’s too little, too late. The Dems could have stopped this train wreck.
Never forget that Schumer & Jeffries caved on the OBBA which funded this monstrosity.
Finished Handmaid's Tale instead, OBBA is up next. 😬
January 25, 2026 at 5:55 AM
Finished Handmaid's Tale instead, OBBA is up next. 😬
I agree with most of this but the OBBA funding complicates things slightly in that the default situation is that ICE/CBP has funding. Given that, there are intermediate "reforms" I would take, especially anything that would create new causes of action relating to ICE/CBP abuses.
January 25, 2026 at 3:36 AM
I agree with most of this but the OBBA funding complicates things slightly in that the default situation is that ICE/CBP has funding. Given that, there are intermediate "reforms" I would take, especially anything that would create new causes of action relating to ICE/CBP abuses.
Unfortunately, the OBBA gave ICE a huge emergency fund, so they could last quite a while without DHS funding. Best options are probably serious restrictions on ICE and CBP, removal of Miller and Bongino and Noem, outlawing tear gas and pepper spray, banning ICE/CBP firearm carrying in cities, etc.
January 25, 2026 at 12:48 AM
Unfortunately, the OBBA gave ICE a huge emergency fund, so they could last quite a while without DHS funding. Best options are probably serious restrictions on ICE and CBP, removal of Miller and Bongino and Noem, outlawing tear gas and pepper spray, banning ICE/CBP firearm carrying in cities, etc.
Bc it is essentially a protest vote. Even if DHS isn’t funded, OBBA gave ICE/CBP funding already so a govt shutdown wouldn’t stop them
But it’s undeniable the murder was even less justified than Good’s so Dems have to do something even if it amounts to nothing
But it’s undeniable the murder was even less justified than Good’s so Dems have to do something even if it amounts to nothing
January 24, 2026 at 11:05 PM
Bc it is essentially a protest vote. Even if DHS isn’t funded, OBBA gave ICE/CBP funding already so a govt shutdown wouldn’t stop them
But it’s undeniable the murder was even less justified than Good’s so Dems have to do something even if it amounts to nothing
But it’s undeniable the murder was even less justified than Good’s so Dems have to do something even if it amounts to nothing
The Republicans dont actually whip any better. They arguably whip much worse. The OBBA that gave ICE a huge pile of money still had R defectors, provisions stripped by the parliamentarian, and descended into a vote-a-rama. They cant even reliably keep the govt open despite having a trifecta.
January 24, 2026 at 8:39 PM
The Republicans dont actually whip any better. They arguably whip much worse. The OBBA that gave ICE a huge pile of money still had R defectors, provisions stripped by the parliamentarian, and descended into a vote-a-rama. They cant even reliably keep the govt open despite having a trifecta.
what I fucking wouldn't have given for OBBA to have not been able to pass b/c of what it did for a huge shitton of ICE's funding labeled as mandatory spending through the next through 2025-2028 and thus outside normal appropriations process
January 24, 2026 at 5:58 PM
what I fucking wouldn't have given for OBBA to have not been able to pass b/c of what it did for a huge shitton of ICE's funding labeled as mandatory spending through the next through 2025-2028 and thus outside normal appropriations process
Thanks for clarifying this and quoting the section of the OBBA for reference.
January 24, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Thanks for clarifying this and quoting the section of the OBBA for reference.
The OBBA was both terrible on the policy merits and incredibly fiscally irresponsible. Its totally going to bind the hands of the next Dem administration.
And yet the American public still trusts the GOP on debt and fiscal issues. Its just a total farce.
And yet the American public still trusts the GOP on debt and fiscal issues. Its just a total farce.
▪️The U.S. debt has reached 100% of our GDP, meaning total debt is equal to the size of our entire economy.
▪️The interest costs on that debt have climbed to over $1 trillion.
▪️In trump's first year of this 2nd term debt grew by $2.25 trillion, the largest single-year increase on record.
▪️The interest costs on that debt have climbed to over $1 trillion.
▪️In trump's first year of this 2nd term debt grew by $2.25 trillion, the largest single-year increase on record.
'Some form of crisis is almost inevitable': The $38 trillion national debt will soon be growing faster than the U.S. economy itself, watchdog warns | Fortune
"The United States is deeply indebted, and its finances are on an unsustainable long-term trajectory," says the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
fortune.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:22 PM
The OBBA was both terrible on the policy merits and incredibly fiscally irresponsible. Its totally going to bind the hands of the next Dem administration.
And yet the American public still trusts the GOP on debt and fiscal issues. Its just a total farce.
And yet the American public still trusts the GOP on debt and fiscal issues. Its just a total farce.
I am going to have to watch OBBA again to try to understand why I wasn’t impressed the first time I saw it.
January 23, 2026 at 3:34 AM
I am going to have to watch OBBA again to try to understand why I wasn’t impressed the first time I saw it.
TLDR:
- no auth: ICE keeps operating without oversight because of OBBA budget
- CR: ICE keeps operating without oversight because of OBBA budget and CR
- approps: $20M allocated to independent oversight and ICE loses more than 60% of their detention spending ability
- no auth: ICE keeps operating without oversight because of OBBA budget
- CR: ICE keeps operating without oversight because of OBBA budget and CR
- approps: $20M allocated to independent oversight and ICE loses more than 60% of their detention spending ability
January 23, 2026 at 1:42 AM
TLDR:
- no auth: ICE keeps operating without oversight because of OBBA budget
- CR: ICE keeps operating without oversight because of OBBA budget and CR
- approps: $20M allocated to independent oversight and ICE loses more than 60% of their detention spending ability
- no auth: ICE keeps operating without oversight because of OBBA budget
- CR: ICE keeps operating without oversight because of OBBA budget and CR
- approps: $20M allocated to independent oversight and ICE loses more than 60% of their detention spending ability
All bad choices here. If they didn't vote for the bill, TSA and FEMA would've been shuttered, but ICE would continue operating (OBBA funding). It'd be a pyrrhic victory and a statement without teeth. Even so, I figured one or two Dems would've voted yes, not seven.
January 22, 2026 at 10:28 PM
All bad choices here. If they didn't vote for the bill, TSA and FEMA would've been shuttered, but ICE would continue operating (OBBA funding). It'd be a pyrrhic victory and a statement without teeth. Even so, I figured one or two Dems would've voted yes, not seven.
Let’s be frank, this is BlueSky, had it passed without a single D vote they’d still find a way to be angry at D’s.
Also no shutdown theory of victory here.
This bill wouldn’t have stopped diddly or squat because the OBBA passed a ton of funding for ICE anyway.
Also no shutdown theory of victory here.
This bill wouldn’t have stopped diddly or squat because the OBBA passed a ton of funding for ICE anyway.
January 22, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Let’s be frank, this is BlueSky, had it passed without a single D vote they’d still find a way to be angry at D’s.
Also no shutdown theory of victory here.
This bill wouldn’t have stopped diddly or squat because the OBBA passed a ton of funding for ICE anyway.
Also no shutdown theory of victory here.
This bill wouldn’t have stopped diddly or squat because the OBBA passed a ton of funding for ICE anyway.
Under OBBA, the budget for ICE skyrocketed from $10 billion to $75 billion. Your tax dollars in action.
January 22, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Under OBBA, the budget for ICE skyrocketed from $10 billion to $75 billion. Your tax dollars in action.