THE NEWS

Update (1700ET): After a dramatic game of chicken and House Democrats freaking out over Chuck Schumer’s ‘betrayal,’ the Senate has enough votes to advance the GOP-crafted government funding bill past the 60-vote procedural threshold to advance to a final vote (aka the ‘pre-vote’ or ‘test-vote’ before the big-boy vote).

With Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voting no, at least eight Democrats needed to join the other 52 Republicans in addition to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Those who joined R’s included; Durbin, King, Schatz, Cortez Masto, Hassan, Peters, Gillibrand and Fetterman… The vote is ongoing.

Now – we wait for the big vote, after which the Senate will call it a night and go on vacation for a week unless for some reason enough Republicans suddenly vote ‘no’ and we’re back in disarray.

Developing…

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Black hats are gone, but we’ve still got a few green ones left…

Combine with multitool for free shipping.

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Congressional Democrats are in full revolt after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) folded like a wet paper napkin and agreed to vote ‘yes’ on the House-passed government funding measure that effectively ends the shutdown fight as long as six more Democrats join Schumer and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) who’s a ‘yes’ as well.

As it stands, the Senate will vote this afternoon to overcome a filibuster of the House’s continuing resolution, which funds federal agencies through Sept. 30 at current 2024 levels, but also includes approximately $13 billion in cuts to nondefense programs, and $6 billion in additional military spending. It’s unclear what time the vote will occur, as both sides are working to secure an agreement to allow senators to finish before the midnight shutdown deadline and head home for a weeklong recess.

Schumer claims he has no choice, saying that a shutdown would be a “gift” to the Trump administration, and “the best distraction he could ask for from his awful agenda.”

“It is deeply partisan. It doesn’t address far too many of this country’s needs. But I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option,” he said Thursday on the Senate floor.

On Thursday night, Schumer went on MSNBC to pretend he was outraged, but just had to pass the bill (and call Republicans ‘bastards.’)

🚨DESPERATE CHUCK SCHUMER CALLS REPUBLICANS “BASTARDS”🚨

“It’s much, much better not to be in the middle of a shutdown, which would divert people from the number one issue we have against these bastards!”

“They’re ruining democracy!” pic.twitter.com/9i90rfOv9z

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 14, 2025

“It’s much, much better not to be in the middle of a shutdown, which should divert people from the number one issue we have against these bastards, sorry, these people, which is not only all these cuts, but they’re ruining democracy,” he said.

President Trump congratulated Schumer, posting to Truth Social:

Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took “guts” and courage! The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming. We should all work together on that very dangerous situation. A non pass would be a Country destroyer, approval will lead us to new heights. Again, really good and smart move by Senator Schumer. This could lead to something big for the USA, a whole new direction and beginning! DJT

Democrats In Disarray

House Democrats huddled at their annual strategy retreat in Northern Virginia on Thursday, where they bombarded their Senate colleagues with calls and texts urging them to nuke the GOP bill.

That said, Democrats didn’t have the cards…

Let’s be blunt here: Democrats picked a fight they couldn’t win and caved without getting anything in return. –Punchbowl

House Democrats also oppose the spending cuts contained in the GOP bill, warning that they will erode critical public services (grifts), and that fact that the GOP bill excludes specific language to limit what Elon Musk and DOGE can do as the Trump administration continues to slash federal agencies and programs unchecked by Congress, The Hill reports.

But Schumer rejected their demands.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (a performance artist herself) led the charge against Senate Democrats, after House Democrats united against the GOP bill in the lower chamber.

“There is a deep sense of outrage and betrayal,” said AOC. “And this is not just about progressive Democrats, This is across the board — the entire party.”

“Just to see Senate Democrats even consider acquiescing Elon Musk — I think it is a huge slap in the face,” she continued. 

“It’s an awful decision,” said Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY). “People are angry. We were almost to a person in unison [on the House vote]. … And a significant percentage of their caucus is voting to allow the Republicans to do whatever they want to do.”

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“Right now, they are openly saying that they will take this money that is in this bill and then they will just appropriate it for whatever they want,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).

“People have to know what Democrats stand up for, and they’ve got to see us fighting for them,” she added. “And if we’re just the same, and we’re just going to enable Republicans to do what they’re doing, I think that’s obviously why people are frustrated.”

Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) – head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that the GOP bill is specifically designed to let Trump and Musk keep ‘plundering.’

“First and foremost, Senate Republicans should back down from screwing over their own constituents,” he said. “And then second, Senate Democrats should do the same thing House Democrats did, which is fight for our constituents and block this bill.”

“Democrats were elected to fight for working people, not put up a fake fight.“

Speaking of fake fights…

It’s all an act…

Rep. Thomas Massie says it’s all an act… a “fake fight” in the House that “will become obvious when the Senate Democrats vote for this stinker.”

The low down on this CR. It’s a fake fight here in the House that will become obvious when the Senate Democrats vote for this stinker. pic.twitter.com/MPD9quy2aN

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 11, 2025

As Punchbowl notes in its post-mortem…

There’s a reason Republicans put Democrats in this position – because they know Democrats would eventually cave. And they did.

During this whole fight, Democrats never managed to put Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Trump in a tough spot. There are plenty of policies House Democrats could’ve asked for in the CR — more money for certain programs, for instance — that would’ve placed Republicans in a bind. But they never made the case publicly for anything like that.

Senate Democrats, meanwhile, essentially tried to have it both ways. They spent the last few days — which included three long and contentious lunch meetings — warning each other in private about the grave dangers of forcing a government shutdown. But in front of TV cameras, they were trashing the House GOP CR and insisting they wouldn’t vote for the funding measure. This won them praise from progressives, activist groups and House Democrats.

Schumer, who didn’t take a public position until last night, fired a warning shot on Wednesday when he said Republicans didn’t have enough Democratic votes to pass the CR, basically threatening a filibuster. In the meantime, Senate Democrats pushed for a short-term CR intended to buy time for a bipartisan funding deal that was never going anywhere.

This set up the Democratic base for disappointment for seemingly no reason.

Authored by Athan Koutsiouroumbas via RealClearPennsylvania,

Pennsylvania faces an unsettling prospect: California-style blackouts looming on the horizon.

This is a troubling shift for a state that proudly stands as a net energy exporter. Yet, despite this enviable position, Pennsylvanians find themselves burdened with residential electricity costs that exceed the national average by 13%.

Since 2018, the state’s residents have endured electric rate hikes outpacing those of neighboring states, resulting in a staggering 30% increase in energy costs. That’s driven monthly costs for electricity, heating, and gasoline to $669 per household – one of the nation’s highest.

For two decades, energy demand in Pennsylvania held steady. That stability was upended in December 2022, when OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT, igniting an artificial intelligence boom that reverberated across the country.

The ripple effects have reached Pennsylvania’s power grid, managed by PJM, the regional operator overseeing the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Rust Belt. In late 2024, PJM warned that AI and data centers are projected to consume nearly one-sixth of the electricity generated in its territory. This is no small matter.

The computational might of AI relies on vast amounts of electricity, and Pennsylvania – with its strategic location in the Northeast Corridor, affordable land, and abundant power infrastructure – has emerged as an ideal hub for these energy-hungry facilities.

The numbers paint a sobering picture. Over the next decade, even under the most conservative estimates, the regional grid faces a shortfall of 80,000 megawatts of electricity. Pennsylvania contributes roughly 25% of the power flowing into this grid. 

A simple calculation reveals the scale of the challenge: to maintain its role as a supplier, the state must add at least 20 new 1,000-megawatt generation plants. Yet, as of now, not a single such facility is under construction, nor are there plans to break ground.  As these facilities can take up to five years to build and the gap between demand and supply widens with each passing day, time is not on the side of policymakers.

Considering Pennsylvania is known as the “Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas,” how did we get here?

For one, many of the state’s energy policies have languished. These outdated laws struggle to accommodate the rapid evolution of technology and the economy it fuels.

Blocking the construction of data centers and other AI facilities in Pennsylvania is short sighted as the regional electric grid is interconnected. The electricity to fuel them must come from somewhere or it will only draw more power away from Pennsylvania.

Being “All of the Above” matters, whether it be nuclear, gas, renewables or other energy sources.  For example, the politically “ruby red” state of Texas has more solar facilities than anywhere else in the country.  It is also building 12 new natural gas projects to keep up with demand. 

Solutions exist, though they require decisive action.

First, Pennsylvania’s energy laws must be modernized to reflect the realities of the 21st century. A forward-looking energy policy will unlock billions in private investment for new plants, balancing emissions goals with grid reliability. Twenty-two states have natural gas power plants under construction or in development. Sitting on the world’s largest natural gas reserve, Pennsylvania is shockingly not one of those states. 

Second, large-scale energy projects – whether natural gas plants, nuclear facilities, or renewable installations – need fast-tracking. The current pace of development is no match for the urgency of the moment. Leading at the federal level, President Trump has authorized expediting large-scale energy projects. However, there are nearly 2,500 smaller shovel-ready energy projects in the regional grid queue languishing that are poised to invest billions of private dollars into rural electric infrastructure improvement.

Finally, the state should centralize its site permitting process for energy generation, cutting through the bureaucratic tangle that delays progress. Centralize permitting to slash years off timelines, signaling Pennsylvania is open for business.

The irony is stark: a state that exports power to its neighbors now risks leaving its own citizens in the dark. This should be an opportunity for Pennsylvania to fully leverage its potential energy production advantage to serve as a magnet for any enterprise to locate here. 

The blackout threat is not inevitable.

The tools to prevent this crisis are within reach – policy reform, expedited projects, and streamlined approvals.

Will we act before the lights go out?