Is leverage really leverage if you cannot really move anything with it?

[exitseven]

Sen. Chris Coons admits that democrats are keeping the government closed because that is the only leverage that they have. The democrats want to restore all the wasteful spending that has been cut from the budget including giving illegal aliens free healthcare. Thr price tag for all this is 1.4 trillion dollars. After 35 days it does not seem to be working. UIs it really leverage when it fails to move anything. The Republicans will not budge on this, they are trying to get the budget back under control and perhaps even make a dent in the 37 trillion deficit. The leverage that the democrats claim that they have does not seem to be working.

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/09/22/sen-chris-coons-on-avoiding-a-government-shutdown.html

[RandomGirl42]

I asked AI:

"That’s a beautifully phrased question — almost philosophical.

If we think of leverage in the physical sense, it’s the ability of a lever to multiply force: a small input creates a large output, as long as there’s a proper fulcrum and something to act upon. If you have a lever but nothing to move — or no fulcrum to pivot on — then all you have is a stick. The potential for leverage is there, but it’s unrealized."

Thank you for inviting me to share. 😊

[RavVid]

It looks really odd from a Non-American view.

I think we just accept that who we elect to govern gets to govern in the Westminster system and if voters don't like what was done retrospectively they can vote to change it at the next election.

Our system works better than your system. Denial of supply would have forced an election by now with the People resolving the issue.

Frankly it is fucked in the head to allow an impasse in government.

[exitseven]

People are regularly voted out of office. They can be recalled but it is hard to do that.

[RavVid]

In our copy of your constitution there are resolution procedures for deadlock between the houses of parliament. Our Senate can't spin out a money bill. It must vote yes or no. If it votes no, then it forces dissolution of both House of Reps and Senate at the same time. So the Senate can't vote No without being dissolved by that action.

Every parliamentarian is risking the unemployment line if they pull that grenade pin. So it has happened only once due to the skin in the game. They can't sit pretty and mouth off to the TV crews. They have to be very sure the People won't take baseball bats to them.

Even ordinary non-money bills can trigger a double dissolution if the houses are gridlocked on legislation but it is more complicated

It seems to me you guys need resolution processes if your House of Reps and Senate decide to be nonfunctional. Just my two cents - hope you don't mind.

[Chazmatazz269]

Fetterman has chimed in to support the fact that the current shutdown is 100% democrats’ doing, and for all the wrong reasons.
They’re childish, petty and privileged. They don’t care who they hurt as long as they get their way, because they know that they themselves will remain wholly unaffected by their obstinance and their hurtful policies and practices.

[OlderAndWiser]

One more time that the Democrats refuse to deal with reality.

[BonzoInBitburg]

They appear more motivated to dig in after Tuesdays election.

[exitseven]

I think that having the food stamp crowd having it tough did not bother them too much but the backlash over shutting down the airports before Thanksgiving (The biggest Travel day of the year) has them worried. All you see on TV are people complaining about their cancelled flights.

[msc545]

This is a complete set of lies. Nobody wants to give illegal aliens free healthcare as usual. You are promulgating a rumor in the hopes that people will start to believe it. I think we are over that. Too bad for you better find your letterage elsewhere.

[Chazmatazz269]

Once again you are full of doodie.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3vzyl5x15ro

trackbill.com/.../
The first article is from a known liberal media source. So you shouldn’t have any problem with the facts of said article. Note the line “The Republicans have pointed to Democratic proposals to reverse parts of Trump's changes to healthcare provision in his tax and spending bill, as evidence for their claim.”
The healthcare bill that the democrats want to reverse is HR 584, detailed in the second link. The only reason to challenge that bill is to provide healthcare for undocumented immigrants, because that is the only thing it restricts.
It’s okay to not know things. It’s not okay to call people liars because they know things that you don’t, or things you haven’t bothered to research because you’re so afraid of proving to yourself how willfully ignorant you really are. Just post less uninformed nonsense and read more. It’s really easy to do.

[exitseven]

it is common knowlege that illegals have been getting free healthcare. Democrats say it is not Medicaid which may be mostly but not entirely true. However they can go to emergency rooms without the expectation of having to pay for it. The federal government picks up the tab. The state I live in has a number of motor homes that have been turned into mobile medical clinics. They go to all the hotels that the state has leased to house the thousands of illegal aliens that has invaded the state and provide healthcare to these freeloaders , all at taxpayer expense. .

[ProbablyClueless]

Not particularly… But, this situation had Trump talking about trying to eliminate the filibuster to force policies down the Dems’ throats. I think that is a horrible idea.


I was against eliminating the filibuster when the Dems talked about doing it, and I’m equally opposed when I hear Republicans talking about it. The purpose of our system is to be in a constant state of tension.

[DrPepper12]

JFC enough with this Nick Fuentes wet dream of immigrants getting health care!!! It's simply not true!!

The shutdown is over as soon as Trump tells them to kneel before his shriveled orange cheese doodle

[slatyb]

You mean the wasteful spending on food and medical care for working class Americans?

[jshm2]

Lol. Coons is being a coon, and lying to save his own ass.

[seeyounexttuesday]

This is why they’re no longer the party that cares for the poor.

[noohair]

It is false leverage.