THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION CAN NOT BE OVERSTATED: Shut it down?
Reemberto Rodriguez (September 20, 2025)
As Congress gets ready to debate the Federal Budget, we have the opportunity to stand strong and make more than a statement. The severity of the situation today – what is going on in the United States of America – can not be overstated. It may very well be that closing this government – not funding this government – is a legitimate tactic to stop this madness, this undeniable trajectory to an ever more dangerous autocracy intending on centralizing power in the hands of MAGA friendly oligarchs, creating an economy that serves only them, and perpetuating that power through the militarization of the homeland, controlling the press and academia, minimizing science, mass-deporting immigrants and manipulating elections to ensure power remains in the hands of heterosexual white (self-identified) Christian men.
- By the numbers: It requires 60 Senators to adopt the Federal budget. There are 53 Republican Senators, which means seven Democrats must vote yes to adopt the MAGA budget if all Republicans vote yes. If all Democrats vote no, the government shuts down even if all Republicans vote yes.
We have to fight back – without going back. We know we gotta go forward. We know we were a long way away from the aspirational democracy we sought before the Trump devolution started. We know we need fresh ideas to move us forward beyond this nightmare.
As a starting point, in the spirit of a new America counter-revolution affirming the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, we can move forward with new ideas that recapture the aspirational spirit of America. We need to counter the mess they have created with positive policies to:
- Lower the cost of living – housing, food, transportation and health care;
- Create good paying jobs by increasing wages and salaries while keeping inflation in check;
- Tax wealth and the uber rich;
- Incentivize innovation and local economies; and,
- Enter into diplomatically achieved trade agreements that support US companies, big and small.
At the same time, we need to counter the MAGA/Trump edicts which tell us:
- Bombs bring peace
- The Department of War will make us safe
- Empathy is lame and woke
- Less federal workers can do more
- Data is for dummies
- Facts is what they say, even if fabricated
- The hungry can feed themselves
- The homeless belong in prison
- The ICE raids are to arrest criminals
- The press exists to serve those in power
- Comedy is not free speech
- Academia is the antithesis of knowledge
- Trickle down economics help the poor
- Science does not need research
- Due process is overrated – it is a thing of the past
- Tariffs are not taxes
In other words, they tell us: 2+2=5. What they say is what they want it to be. It matters not if it does not add up.
Well, they are wrong. They know it. We know. Everyone knows it.
Time is running out. We have to act now. If we don’t do something now – if we are simply complicit with tweaks and band-aids and vote to keep this government going – it will serve only to consolidate power in MAGA and further the devolution of the American dream with further cuts, more gifts to the oligarchy, and meaner and more incompetent foreign affairs.
So what? What to do?
For starters, let’s reaffirm our values. Let’s remember our collective aspirations.
Maybe we can adopt the 10 Bill of Wrongs.
Where as this Administration has forced the following 10 unacceptable wrongs that have caused this nation on the eve of our 250th anniversary to endanger our pursuit of happiness and create a more perfect union, we refuse to participate in funding this government until such a time as these ten wrongs are addressed for the goodwill of all persons living in these United States of America.
[1] Re-establish the co-equal branches of the Federal government to continue our path towards an aspirational democracy: An independent judiciary, a Congress that legislates through deliberation without a singular allegiance to any political party, and a President that respects not only laws but also the norms within prescribed limited powers.
[2] Stop the war on cities by removing the armed forces from cities and restricting enforcement agencies (i.e.: ICE) to their singular mandate of pursuing criminals, and do not fund any measures to increase these activities.
[3] Provide funding to provide due process to the persons apprehended without due process in the last 9 months.
[4] Repeal indiscriminate tariffs and restrict all future tariffs to be justifiable with hard data and approval of Congress.
[5] Reconstitute the Federal workforce in all agencies and departments that have been destroyed; reclaim the Federal grants processes that is not at the political whims of the President; and remove any requirement of civil service to declare allegiance to the President.
[6] Fund the Affordable Care Act to fulfill its intended purpose, and do not in any way limit funding for Medicaid.
[7] Establish integrity in data collection throughout the Federal government by respecting the independence of data collection and presentation; and fund academic and scientific research without consideration of unilateral Presidential edicts that are based exclusively on political bias or do not consider the validity of data.
[8] Respect the independence of the press and academia by defunding any program, project or initiative for the Federal government to sue the press or academia as a result of this Administration’s Executive Actions.
[9] Reestablish authentic diplomatic relationships with other nations in the Americas, Europe and the rest of the world to reaffirm basic and essential American values that will yield lasting coherent trade agreements and real peace rather than transactional quick fixes.
[10] Let the arts be the arts, returning the Kennedy Center to its previous Board; reinstituting a National Endowment of the Arts without political interference; and stop selectively attacking entertainers that express negative opinions of the President and/or MAGA.
And while we are at it, let’s aggressively and conclusively address two items that predate this Administration:
[-] Repeal Citizens United to limit the impact of money on elections.
[-] Mandate the fresh redrawing of all Congressional Districts without gerrymandering.
Maybe none of these items by themselves merits closing the government over it. However, when taken together these ten wrongs constitute a real and present danger to the very survival of the USA as an aspirational democracy. If we fund this government now, the devolution to an autocratic state will be much more challenging to reverse with each passing day.
Let’s shut it down?
I get that many sensible folks will disagree with this approach. I get that it is a major risk. I get that killing the filibuster gets around this approach. I get that the ‘end game’ may not be clear and there will be unintended consequences. I get that some people will be hurt with a government shotdown. And, I get that I do not know enough about the inner workings of policy-making to assert that these are the top ten wrongs to be righted. I am sure there are others. I am sure that through the budget process only some can be realistically addressed. Yet, making a strong statement now is indispensable if we are going to have any chance of continuing the fight with any hope of succeeding. Don’t let it be said in the future that we did too little too late.