Why does Congress keep playing chicken with the potential for a shutdown? R: The real reason Congress continues to “play chicken” with these overhyped shutdowns is that neither side wishes to budge, and they both understand the optics are much worse than the implications. I say this because roughly three-quarters of federal employees continue working during the “closure” in our most critical sectors, such as the military, air traffic control, Social Security, and the VA (plus or minus 5%). In practice, shutdowns effectively function as a suspension with back pay for many government employees (essential and non-essential). It’s disruptive & inconvenient, that’s for sure, but not the apocalypse that many politicians pretend it is. Thus, the latest standoff reminds us that such games will continue eroding the public trust until we rediscover financial responsibility and the value of substantive negotiations to avoid burdening our federal employees and frightening the American public. L: Let me be clear: this government shutdown isn’t a quirk of Washington gridlock– Republicans control both houses of Congress, the presidency, and the judiciary. If they want to double the cost of healthcare for almost thirty million Americans, then they can gut the filibuster and ram through their draconian proposals tomorrow. But they won’t– not because they know their policies are wrong, but because they would rather blame Democrats than take responsibility for their historically unpopular, fiscally irresponsible agenda. Democrats have stood against these irresponsible cuts and Republican falsehoods blaming illegal immigrants. There’s no reason for congressional Democrats to cave when the president won’t honor his promises. He has claimed he can cancel congressionally appropriated spending on a whim. If Republicans can’t honor their promises, any compromise is meaningless. This isn’t both sides– this is a Republican shutdown through and through. Is the new $100K cost on H1B visas a good idea? R: The newly proposed $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas (on top of existing registration and petition charges) is a broadly applied tool masquerading as reform. On paper, it sounds bold, but in practice, it risks strangling innovation, harming small companies, and pushing foreign talent overseas. While it’s reasonable to crack down on abuse of the visa lottery and outsourcing firms, punishing every employer who wants to hire skilled foreign labor is overreach. It’s good that current visa holders and renewals are (according to White House clarifications) exempted (for now). However, the precedent of imposing such a steep fee by executive proclamation worries me. If Republicans want to see lasting and effective immigration reform, they should examine congressional solutions. They can start by tightening enforcement and closing loopholes, not pricing out the “brightest and best” with a single sweep. L: No, this new course from the administration is antithetical to our nation’s values and undermines our ability to attract international talent. Currently, there is a cap of just sixty-five thousand H-1B visas yearly, so this notion that these workers are “stealing” American jobs is farcical. These visa holders represent a small fraction of our nation’s workforce. Despite that, these visas primarily go to workers in vital economic sectors: healthcare, education, and technology. Until now, H-1B visas have cost less than ten thousand dollars. This sudden price hike brings instability to rural hospitals, colleges and universities, and technology companies researching the latest innovation who get priced out of critical talent. This new policy also fails to protect American workers. Instead, it punishes American companies and communities. It slaps a hefty price tag on the American Dream and sends a message that America sells its opportunities to the highest bidder. Assuming that woodchucks could chuck wood, would Republican or Democrat woodchucks chuck more? Why? R: Republican woodchucks would chuck FAR more wood – believe me! They are hard-working, strong, incredible woodchucks. Democrat woodchucks? They’d hold a press conference, form a committee, and tax YOU for the wood THEY never chucked. Very sad! Everyone’s saying it – the best woodchucks are Republican woodchucks. Thank you for your attention to this matter! #MAGA L: Republican woodchucks would hold a press conference boasting and bragging they could chuck the most wood any woodchuck could ever chuck. Republican woodchucks would chuck no wood– they’d wait for someone else to do it. Democratic woodchucks would roll up their sleeves and get to work.