สำเนาบทสนทนา 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:13.599
Welcome everyone to the Gov Navigator Show, a government-focused program that won't make you season.
00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:17.519
We're the Gov Navigators, I'm Robert Jack, and I'm Adam Hughes.
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:23.440
We hope to enlighten and enliven your week with news and insightful entertaining guests, all on the topic of government management.
00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:30.960
Enjoy today's episode of Gov Navigators, brought to you by the creative geniuses behind the award-winning podcast FedEx.
00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:55.920
This episode is brought to you by Alicor, which powers the technology behind public sector lending grant and capital deployment programs, helping agencies modernize operations, improve oversight, and better serve the public.
00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:59.280
And you can learn even more at Alicor.com.
00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:04.640
Thanks to our friends at Alicor for sponsoring this episode of the Governigator Show.
00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:11.599
So what's the right metaphor, Adam?
00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:17.840
Is it tsunami more than a wave, less than a tsunami, or a genuine?
00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:19.439
What help me.
00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:27.439
Well, we heard from Florida's governor that it was an extinction level event like asteroid and the dinosaurs for the Republican Party.
00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:29.120
It might have been a little overstated.
00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:38.719
So Senate went from 5347 Republican majority to 54-44 Democratic majority.
00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:49.840
Democrats flipped Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and my home state of Texas.
00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:59.120
I'm hesitating to say something like you're old enough to remember when a Democrat last won a statewide office in Texas.
00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:08.159
Well, I was there on the campaign staff of a Republican gubernatorial candidate who was beaten by Ann Richards.
00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:08.879
Yeah.
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.520
And technically I was old enough as well.
00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:12.719
I was in middle school.
00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:15.759
I was alive and had a functioning brain at the time.
00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:24.319
I think it's appropriate that I put the hat that Clayton Williams gave me as a gift for working on that campaign.
00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:30.080
I think this is maybe where we have to start moving this show to a full video.
00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:34.080
Because that is quite a hat, a Texas hat.
00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:40.479
I think the viewer should just be able to imagine me in this beautiful gray beaver hat.
00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:43.280
Like it's made out of beaver?
00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:52.719
You know, Clayton Williams taught me when I accidentally brought his straw hat in the middle of winter, where I brought in the beaver hat in the middle of summer.
00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:53.919
That's what it was.
00:02:54.240 --> 00:03:00.879
That no self-respecting Texan is gonna go out on the Hastings wearing the wrong weather hat.
00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:05.199
I mean, this is pearls of wisdom here on the Gov Navigator show, folks.
00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:11.199
He gave me this hat and it says, because I was going back to school, Lonesome Gov Committee, Connecticut Branch.
00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:11.840
It says, right?
00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:13.919
That's a very nice gift.
00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:16.080
And it's really held up.
00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:17.360
It looks brand new.
00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:18.080
Yeah.
00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:23.360
So anyway, suffice it to say, it has been an earthquake.
00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:28.560
Mississippi and Alaska, as we record this, still no results.
00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:29.680
No results.
00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:32.560
I have two great anecdotes to share about that.
00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:44.479
One is that there is no procedure for recounts in the state of Mississippi, which is something I never knew because there's never been an election close enough to require a recount.
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:48.000
It's like, bless your heart, we'll figure all this out.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:49.840
I really do think that's what it is.
00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:56.080
And I did hear the procedure is that essentially there has to be a court order in order to have a recount.
00:03:56.159 --> 00:04:03.280
It's not a certain percentage, or if the candidate that wants to have it done will pay for it, a judge has to say you have to do a recount.
00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:09.520
So I think it's possible that we won't know who won the election for the Senate seat in Mississippi for quite some time.
00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:12.000
Anecdote from Alaska.
00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:21.360
I saw an Alaska official on CNN yesterday who made the analogy that they do count votes slowly in Alaska.
00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:27.040
And he said that they like to approach the vote counting like you should approach sex.
00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:30.000
Finishing first is not a badge of honor.
00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:34.000
But doing it well so that everyone's satisfied at the end is what we should aim for.
00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:36.160
And I almost spell it on my seat.
00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:39.920
I mean, perfect analogy, but also, dude, you're on national television.
00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:42.560
So much imagery on this.
00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:43.920
Those are great.
00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:45.600
So those two still yet to be called.
00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:48.959
Quite we didn't cover house results.
00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:54.399
NBC projects Democrats will have 258 seats.
00:04:55.120 --> 00:05:02.560
Still short of the 290 needs to override a veto, but enough to impeach, interestingly.
00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:03.439
Wow.
00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:05.920
I think there's a lot to share at state level, too.
00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:14.639
There are five new Democratic trifectas where Democrats now control the
Load full transcript
governor's mansion and both houses of the state legislature.
00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:19.360
And that's Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:22.399
Five other trifectas were broken.
00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:28.240
And the total number of Democrats elected, this is also an interesting stat, which is both state and federal.
00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:33.920
The total number of Democrats who were elected to office was 600 across the country.
00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:35.040
Truly remarkable.
00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:37.040
So you didn't file?
00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:39.279
No, no, not yet.
00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:43.040
I mean, it is pretty good.
00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:45.199
And then we get to come on here and talk about this stuff.
00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:46.720
So what does it all mean?
00:05:46.959 --> 00:06:02.959
Well, one other interesting stat, too, that I've only seen a few times is that for the incoming Congress, one-fifth, and this includes both Democrats and Republicans, one-fifth of the new Senate will be new senators, and one quarter of House members will be new.
00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:10.399
I didn't look up the historical data on this, but the power of incumbency has always been in the 90 percentage.
00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:17.279
And this is going to be a slew of new members of Congress who don't know how Congress works.
00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:23.920
And so I think we'll get into kind of implications and what this means for government, what it means for folks working with government.
00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:32.879
But that stat alone means that a government relations strategy really needs to be top of mind for you given the amount of congressional education we're going to need.
00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:34.399
It's starting in January.
00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.759
But there are some old hands that are still there.
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:41.120
One more of the amazingness of this election.
00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:42.639
A lot of firsts.
00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:47.920
You probably have all heard these already, but Abdul El-Said, first Muslim elected to the U.S.
00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.040
Senate in Michigan.
00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:55.920
Chris Pappas, who won the senator's race and defeated former Senator John Sinudu, is the first openly gay male senator.
00:06:56.240 --> 00:07:00.639
Peggy Flanagan, first Native American woman elected to the Senate in Minnesota.
00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:07.040
Annie Andrews is the first woman elected to represent South Carolina Senate, Republican or Democratic Party.
00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:12.240
Adam Hamilton is the first Kansas Democrat elected since 1932.
00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:14.160
Before our time.
00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:15.360
Well before our time.
00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:20.079
James Tallerico is the first Democrat elected from Texas since 1988.
00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:22.560
There's a host more on the House side.
00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:29.680
And if you go down to the state and to the local level, three of the most major cities in the United States have elected Democratic Socialist mayors.
00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:32.319
That's Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.
00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:33.199
Here, where we are.
00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:34.399
Are you through?
00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:36.160
I mean, there's many, many more.
00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:39.040
It was a truly historic election.
00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:45.680
And there's lots more to talk about how that's going to impact things that work in government, both at the federal level and state and local level.
00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:46.319
Okay.
00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:58.720
So on that note, on Homeland Security and Coupled Affairs, we'll get a new chair, Senator Maggie Hattison from New Hampshire, who hopefully will want to get things done.
00:07:59.279 --> 00:07:59.920
Yep.
00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:04.399
And we know that because she's been working with Senator Langford.
00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:11.439
She's already named Mark Busso, our friend, as the head of the management arm of the committee.
00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:12.000
Yep.
00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:13.120
On the staffing side.
00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:14.240
Congratulations, Mark.
00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:17.519
Pretty ambitious reform agenda that they've been working on.
00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:18.639
Absolutely.
00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:19.839
Very ambitious.
00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:21.360
And we're rooting for them.
00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:29.360
I think it's safe to say they want to leverage the moment to make some significant changes in the management arena.
00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:39.679
The structure of government, some significant reforms in the area of personnel, financial management, acquisition.
00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:46.000
So I'm really looking forward to that set of proposals being inserted into the conversation.
00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:55.919
And we'll likely set a different tone than perhaps what many might expect, which is an oversight of the Trump administration approach.
00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:57.600
That'll be involved as well.
00:08:57.840 --> 00:08:59.279
They're not not going to do that.
00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:08.000
But I think coming to the table with the proactive list of reforms that could make government work better for everybody, I think is going to potentially be a breath of fresh air.
00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:08.559
Yeah.
00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:15.919
And apparently the homeland arm, the management arm, which is separate from the investigations arm.
00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:17.360
Which I think is smart.
00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:20.480
Now might be a different situation on the outside.
00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:24.000
Yes, I think so.
00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:26.559
At least based on what we've heard this week.
00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:31.360
Ranking member Garcia moves to the chairman's spot.
00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.919
And he put out a two-word agenda for the next session.
00:09:36.080 -->
00:09:36.960
Did you see that?
00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:42.080
I did, I did, but I it's not rolling off the tip of my tongue.
00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:43.840
Lawyer up.
00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:55.039
I think, and suffice it to say, that the investigative arm of house oversight and government reform will get plenty of exercise over the next two years.
00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:56.240
Absolutely.
00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:02.080
As it has over the last two years, and it'll be interesting to see too.
00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:06.879
I think some of the work that Chairman Gormer did is likely to continue.
00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:12.799
Not just some of the government reform work that he did, but oversight of the Epstein files and incidents.
00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:18.240
There was a fair amount of Republican support on the committee and in the House for that.
00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:22.159
And I think Democrats are not backing away from that for sure.
00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:26.399
But there will likely be a whole host of other investigations beyond that.
00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:32.879
I don't know what you think about how the Senate proposals for government reform will be met by Democrats on the House side.
00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:42.159
I don't think they've quite gotten that far yet, but it'll be a key part of making those things a reality is getting them on board with doing some proactive reforms in addition to the investigations.
00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:42.799
Yeah.
00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:51.440
Too few people understand how much bipartisanship goes into the legislative meeting and some of the management oversight of those committees.
00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:53.919
Good signals on the Senate side.
00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:57.600
We'll have to wait and see on the House side whether that tradition is sustained.
00:10:57.919 --> 00:10:58.159
True.
00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:10.799
And we heard that from our friend Christian Hayner just a few weeks ago when he was on, talking about that being particularly important to actually getting things passed across the finish line for both the House and Senate oversight committees.
00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:20.960
One of the things we didn't cover is confirmations across the board, but the management positions generally go through Homeland Security and Gunner Affairs.
00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:36.559
And I don't think that committee will be as charitable to civil least some of the nominees the administration will put through, which means we should probably expect to have a slew of them considered over the next 60 days.
00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:37.679
True.
00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:44.159
And also potential to have an even larger number of officials in acting roles.
00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:56.320
There are already a large number in the first two years of the Trump administration, but I think we're going to see folks leaving and creating those vacancies and also the inability for, I think, the Trump administration's favored selections to get Senate
approval.
00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:08.960
I also was on a call this past week where someone started talking about whether the Democrats would then try to do some vacancy act investigations about what are the actual rules for people who are in acting roles?
00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:10.000
Are they being violated?
00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:11.120
Are there too many?
00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:14.960
I'm not sure that's going to rise at the top of the list, but I suppose it's possible.
00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:19.519
Well, the enforcing mechanism for that is GAO.
00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:28.240
And GAO also is the enforcing mechanism for anti-deficiency act violations.
00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:35.279
So those are two where I think you'll see a stiffening backbone by the watchdog organization.
00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:35.919
Yes.
00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:51.039
And also we've already seen this year in Congress in some of the appropriations language and in discussions around the CR, an extension of the CR, of ensuring that the administration follows congressional intent in spending funds that are appropriated by Congress.
00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:58.559
That will definitely be a bigger part of the appropriations process of congressional oversight of the Trump administration next year.
00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:00.879
So let me ask you this question.
00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:14.720
If we see a slew of appointments in the next couple of weeks, among them may well be Eric Ewand or some other candidate to fill the comfortable or general position.
00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:15.679
Yes.
00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:26.960
But we've got a slate of senators, some of whom will be disgruntled, some of whom have some institutional loyalty.
00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:29.440
But some.
00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:33.840
What are the chances a nomination like that gets through?
00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:41.840
I think it's better than the chance of other openings that the Trump administration might put forward getting confirmed.
00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:44.559
I mean, Eric spent time on the Hill.
00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:46.720
He understands how Congress works.
00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:50.080
I feel like he's kept his head down in his current role.
00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:58.399
I do think putting a Trump administration political person into that role, though, will raise more than a few eyebrows.
00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:06.799
So I think that's going to be a difficult question, not just for if Eric is put forward, but what is the Democrats' approach to nominations?
00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:10.000
It certainly came up in the campaign.
00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:15.919
I know Susan Collins had to respond to some of her support for Trump administration officials who she voted to confirm.
00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:23.600
I don't know if that means that Democrats are just going to shut the door and say no to everybody, or whether there's going to be ones that they'll say this one will work and this one won't.
00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:27.840
And they certainly have the flexibility given their majority coming in.
00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:35.360
It's going to be much different than the last two years, particularly in the House, but in the Senate too, where the majority was much thinner for the Republicans.
00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:52.960
And giving more flexibility and leeway to Democrats will increase the chances that Senator Schumer and likely Speaker of the House, Hakeem Jeffries, will be able to push for their own agenda rather than having to make sure that they can keep their caucuses in line.
00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:56.639
Here's another tool in the toolbox that doesn't get a lot of attention.
00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:58.240
Or were you going to say something else?
00:14:58.480 --> 00:14:59.039
No, no.
00:14:59.279 --> 00:14:59.679
Go on.
00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:01.759
The Congressional Review Act.
00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:03.120
We're getting deep.
00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:03.600
I love this.
00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:07.919
Well, this is an old Fred Thompson special, just so you know.
00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:17.600
It gives Congress the opportunity to overturn a final agency rule with a joint resolution of disapproval, and it requires a simple majority in the Senate.
00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:23.279
I predict, let me channel my inner Charles Cooper.
00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:31.679
There will be more Congressional View Act resolutions in the next two years than there have been in the last 10.
00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:33.840
That's definitely possible.
00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:38.399
Although the Republican Senate and House during the Biden administration did use it a lot.
00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:44.240
I don't know what their tally was, but I agree with you that this is a particular perfect storm.
00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:48.799
Yeah, I think that's very likely.
00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:49.600
Yep.
00:15:50.399 --> 00:16:01.919
The uniform guidance, which is in draft right now, but it's under a prohibition on implementation in the current continuing resolution.
00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:02.480
Yep.
00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:09.440
And I wouldn't be surprised to see that end up in FY27 approbes.
00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:14.480
But even if not, that's a worthy candidate for the Congressional Review Act.
00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:15.519
Absolutely.
00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:16.000
Yes.
00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:19.679
And I think you know, Democrats, if they're smart, will try to utilize those tools.
00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:25.200
They're going to have a problem with passing law because Trump can veto.
00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:31.039
So anything that's outside of these maybe potentially must-pass bills, appropriations, the CR, that sort of thing.
00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:35.919
I think they're going to have trouble putting forward and enacting a proactive agenda.
00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:41.840
Plus, I think you're going to see, I've read a few things about this, and who knows because you cannot predict what the president
will do.
00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:48.960
But it's possible that the president becomes even less predictable and erratic given he's not running for election.
00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:52.000
Congress is very hostile to his agenda.
00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:54.960
So that we're going to have to keep an eye on and see how that moves forward.
00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:57.919
He's talked about after the election, he's excited to work with them.
00:16:58.399 --> 00:16:59.120
Maybe not excited.
00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:01.759
He's willing to work with Democrats in Congress.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:04.240
Whether that turns out to be true, I think is anyone's guess.
00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:09.119
And he threw him an olive branch by pointing Steve Miller chief of staff.
00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:12.240
Yes, breaking news here on the Govern Navigator show.
00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:14.480
Just coming across my desk.
00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:15.839
Susie Wilesna.
00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:27.200
The point about the joint resolutions under the Congressional Review Act just reminds me that the Senate the bodies don't have veto-proof majorities.
00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:33.200
And I don't know how willing Republicans will be to join in some of those resolutions.
00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:35.920
Yeah, and that'll be another interesting thing to watch.
00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:37.279
Obviously, there's fewer of them.
00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:42.000
But most of the, if we can call them moderate Republicans, are also out.
00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:48.160
And particularly some chief critics of the president of the last two years in the Republican Party are no longer in Congress.
00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:54.079
So they could coalesce in the minority around more allegiance to the president and to his agenda.
00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:58.400
And that will obviously make it much more difficult for Democrats to move things forward.
00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:04.079
And speaking of difficult in the legislative part, the CR does expire on December 11th.
00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:07.519
We will have a lame duck session coming up before the new Congress is sat.
00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:15.680
And as you are aware of, and I'm sure our listeners are too, Congress is very, very far behind on appropriations.
00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.200
The House has reported all of their bills, but only past three.
00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:22.480
And the Senate hasn't even reported their bills.
00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:24.480
So there's also no budget resolution.
00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:29.200
So there's no top line 302A allocation, and there's no defense-nondefense split.
00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:41.440
So it is, even though we have not gone through a shutdown yet in 2026, I think this is potentially the most chaotic appropriations year that we've had in the last five or six years.
00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:50.640
I think it's rumored that the four corners, the chair and ranking of both the House and Senate appropriators supposed to meet this week.
00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:54.799
Those are people who get along with each other.
00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:55.759
They do.
00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:01.599
And they share a view that there should be enacted appropriations.
00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:02.079
Yes.
00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:05.200
So appropriate is going to appropriate, I think, is what they say.
00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:05.839
Yeah.
00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:13.519
And does that mean do you think there's a chance we got appropriations enacted before the new Congress is seeded?
00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:20.559
Or will the Democrats want to put their infremature on the bills to a greater extent?
00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:30.559
I worry that we have a better chance of signing a deal with the Republican Congress and the president than with the Democratic Congress and the President.
00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:32.960
Yeah, I think that's correct.
00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:46.160
I've also heard from a few folks about concerns about, particularly in the House, Speaker Johnson's ability to get people to even come back to Washington, particularly people who just got their butts kicked.
00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:51.519
And as we've talked about for two years, he has a razor-thin margin.
00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:54.400
So don't they all need jobs?
00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:57.359
Don't they need to come back for interviews?
00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:00.240
Oh, come on, Robert.
00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:02.240
These folks are not animals of Washington.
00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:05.599
They're not staying, except the ones that are going to stay and become lobbyists.
00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:09.839
But we'll have to see how much of a caucus he can get to come back.
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:16.160
And even if they all do come back, likely we'll still need Democrats to support some of these things.
00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:20.720
Who knows if it's going to be a bunch of minibuses or maybe just an extension of a CR?
00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:27.519
But I think the worst outcome, as you've alluded to, is nothing happening on December 11th and the government shutting down.
00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:29.440
What else didn't we cover?
00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:37.920
Well, at least earlier this year, Republicans in Congress have talked about the potential to have another reconciliation bill during the lame duck.
00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:40.799
And I think the chances of that are now zero.
00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.559
Why do you say that?
00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:50.000
Well, mostly because if four House Republicans decide that they're not coming for the lame duck, then it's they're dumb.
00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:50.720
Yeah.
00:20:51.039 --> 00:21:04.480
And the short time frame, the fact they haven't really gotten NDAA far enough along and they're going to want to spend time on that, the fact that there's a CR that's going to expire a week or two after Thanksgiving, they just don't have the time, even under the best of conditions.
00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:07.680
And these
are maybe not the worst of conditions, but close.
00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:14.079
I'll be interested to replay this on future episodes to see just how wrong we were.
00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:36.640
Well, and also keep in mind a lot of the things that were talked about going in that reconciliation are not necessarily high-profile Trump administration initiatives, but even if they're have a whiff of the Trump administration, there's less of a stomach now to try to put those into law than there used to be after the shellacking that that agenda got at the polls.
00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:38.319
What's up this week?
00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:39.839
Anything on your agenda?
00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:40.960
Hmm.
00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:42.319
That's a great question.
00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:45.759
Well, it's Veterans Day on Wednesday.
00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:47.519
God bless our veterans.
00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.880
Federal holiday, or an important day to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans.
00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:55.039
Midweek holiday is a little weird.
00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:57.119
I can't remember the last time it was on Wednesday.
00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:58.799
So there's that this week.
00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:02.240
And then I joked with a friend a while ago.
00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:06.799
Then it's Thanksgiving, and then we're into let's circle back in January mode.
00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:08.079
So the year is basically.
00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:09.519
Did you just say circle back?
00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:10.720
Yes, I did.
00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:15.759
You forgot to mention two pivotal things.
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:18.240
One is the Day Force round table.
00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:19.039
Yes.
00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:24.079
Then the Gub Navigators, there's gonna be a giant sucking sound out of DC.
00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:30.240
We're traveling to an undisclosed location for an office retreat.
00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:33.039
It's so poor Brit, it's revolting.
00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:35.519
Hey, listen, you and I know this.
00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:38.880
The reason we got into this business was so we could do these retreats.
00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:40.720
That's really the only reason why we did it.
00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:43.359
It's priority number one on our agenda.
00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:47.119
So next week it'll be a picture of us holding umbrella drinks.
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:48.160
That's right.
00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:48.960
That's right.
00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:56.559
And one other event of note for folks who will be in town, and we will be back by this point on Friday, Friday the 13th.
00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:02.319
ActIact is having their CX Summit 2026 put on by our good friend Martha Doris.
00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:03.279
On Friday.
00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:04.240
On Friday.
00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:05.440
Not my favorite day.
00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:06.960
It's a good thing.
00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:08.160
But see you all in the morning.
00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:12.160
Martha and ActIact have really built this event up, and I've been a couple of times.
00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:14.480
It's a good event, despite it being on a Friday.
00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:16.480
So encourage you all to check it out.
00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:18.480
Have a great week.
00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:21.359
Hey, thanks again to our friends at Alicor.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:24.240
I think we can afford now to go another couple of weeks.
00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:28.480
Yeah, the podcast will continue thanks to the lovely people over at Alicor.
00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:31.359
Make sure you go to Alicor.com and check out what they're doing.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:35.920
They're working hard every day, they're improving government, and we appreciate them.
00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:49.440
Thanks for listening to another episode of the Gov Navigator Show, brought to you by GovNavigators.
00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:52.400
We sure hope you enjoyed it and learned something in the process.
00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:54.000
And didn't get detected.
00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:55.759
Right, of course.
00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:02.160
If you want to know more about us and what we're up to, please follow us on social media or visit govnavigators.com.
00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:02.960
Ahoy!