Balance of Power Shutdown Hits Critical Moment as Pressure Builds
Nov 3, 2025
Mike Lawler, Republican Congressman from New York, shares insights on the ongoing government shutdown and critiques Senate Democrats for blocking funding solutions like SNAP. Bill Hoagland, from the Bipartisan Policy Center, discusses the institutional changes during shutdowns and the importance of the filibuster for compromise. Caroline Hyde analyzes significant tech developments, including a major AWS-OpenAI partnership and the implications of AI spending in the market. Together, they tackle the intersection of politics, economic pressure, and technology.
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Episode notes
Partial SNAP Funding Is Temporary
- The DOJ arranged partial SNAP funding covering roughly half of November's benefits as a temporary fix during the shutdown.
- Many families use most benefits early in the month, so delays compound hardship and pressure on lawmakers.
Shutdown Lacks Traditional Leadership Talks
- This shutdown differs from past ones because leadership negotiations are largely absent and the president is asserting unilateral action.
- That vacuum, Bill Hoagland says, created a new dynamic that lengthens and complicates resolution.
Keep The Filibuster To Force Compromise
- Preserve the Senate filibuster for major legislation to force compromise and maintain checks and balances.
- Ending it would lower standards and risk passing contentious laws without cross-party consensus, Bill Hoagland warns.
