It is now three months since we should have passed a budget, and naturally we're still nowhere close. So it's time for yet another Continuing Resolution, which keeps the lights on and maybe a wee bit more. According to various reports, here are the extras we can expect in the upcoming CR:
- $10 billion in additional aid to farmers.
- $2 billion to fix Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor (because everyone loves retiring Sen. Ben Cardin).
- PBMs will be required to pass through all pharma rebates.
- RFK Stadium will be transferred to DC so they can try to bring the
RedskinsCommanders back to town. - Sale of 15% ethanol will be allowed year-round.
- An increase to the Medicare physician fee schedule of 2.5% for one year, bonuses to alternative payment models, and a reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act for dealing with the opioid crisis.
- Hurricane relief.
But no permitting relief! Sorry, YIMBYs.
This CR will carry us through March, which is half the fiscal year. Will that be enough? Or will we extend it again and again, finally managing to get through an entire year without a budget? Personally, I think Congress should just throw in the towel on FY25, extend the CR through September 30, and get cranking immediately on the FY26 budget. It's so crazy it might work.
While I have vague but fond memories of seeing the ‘Skins play at RFK, I trust no one in their right mind thinks the stadium itself would suffice today, and the idea would be to rebuild on the same site.
I actually attended a game in the glory days well towards the end of those glory days of the Joe Gibbs era at RFK Stadium. Currently the Stadium is in disrepair, has not hosted anything since Audi Field was built for use by DC United the DC soccer team and now DC Spirit the female soccer team. I believe demolish may have already begun or will very, very soon.
So yes the idea is to tear down the existing stadium and develop the site with or without a stadium depending upon if the Commanders choose to relocate to the site.
I saw my first in person game there when my dad took me to see Washington defeat Green Bay in a playoff game on their way to losing to the Dolphins in the Super Bowl. I’d love to see it built back better to have the team back in DC. And the name absolutely has to be RFK Sr. Stadium just to be clear.
I saw an exhibition -- excuse me, "preseason" -- game there circa 1971. Unlike others here, I have no memory whatsoever of who was the opponent, or who won.
PBM?
Pharmacy Benefit Manager. Living in the DMV we are being baraged with a ton of issue ads about PBM reform. All I know is that everybody has their own Ox to gore on it but very few are thinking of the little guy - instead NYC is scolding all the little people over the murder of a CEO while NYC ignores the murder of so many other people who matter too. UGH.
PBM = Pharmacy Benefit Managers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacy_benefit_management
Patrol Bomber Martin company 🙂
It's definitely not a phrase that most people know.
Private Mail Box?
All I could think of was play by mail. Somehow that did not seem right.
I thought Musk said they were going to cut $2T? Instead, they're adding on more handouts.
I guess despite all the Musk rhetoric and hot air, he personally, can't move as fast as he claims he can. Musk be all that ketamine.
As a Marylander, I like this a lot. The FSK repair bill, obviously. But also, I frankly do not want a penny of my tax dollars going to support the Commanders. I'm okay with some support to sports stadiums, but I already pay enough to support the Ravens and Orioles. Let DC or Virginia pay for the Commanders!
So Democrats are going to fund the fascist administration with barely a peep of protest? Useless. Shut down the government!
Yeah, no.
Lord, help us cut government spending -- but just not yet.
++++
Yeah. That won't work. The reason it doesn't work now is that there are 500 games of chicken going on under the Capital dome, and taking a longer time just means a longer game of chicken.
This is why DOGE is already a dead letter. Musk is just too stupid and drugged up to realize that he can't crack that problem by applying his mighty brain to it.
Ah, Kevin, are you forgetting trump's absolute top priority, namely making the 2017 tippy-top-end tax cut permanent? That'll have to be in whatever budget gets passed in 2025, if one actually does get passed, because iirc calendar 2024 is the last year it's in effect under current law. So it would have to be in FY 2025.
However, early shitshow indicators for the next congress look very strong. According to Politico today, the nutball budget-slasher caucus is extremely PO'd about the extras you mentioned but doesn't think fighting them now in the lame-duck is worth getting crosswise with trump, who is supposed to favor the add-ons-- they'd rather keep that powder dry until March when the CR runs out, and in the meantime they'll aim to make another shitshow of the speakership election the first week of January.
If they do that, I could easily (and happily) see them not having a speaker by the time they're required to certify the election before the end of that week. And I couldn't think of a more fitting start to the reign of our MAGA overlords if I had a month of Sundays.
Ah, but if "Congress throws in the towel on 2025", there go the two "reconciliation opportunities" they have to warp the American Experiment. What Red-Blooded Fascist Functionary would miss an opportunity like THAT!?!?
Utterly no biggie at all but:
Our Francis Scott Key bridge isn't getting "fixed." Every last inch of actual bridge is being completely replaced.
And it is going to be GREAT to see thst active eork beginning in 2025 from the park across the street from,our rowhome.