YOU MADE IT

Well, the weather outside is frightful, as the song goes. But at least the government is, as of this moment at least, no longer hurtling toward an imminent shutdown!

The House of Representatives voted this evening to approve a new short-term spending plan, after two days of white-knuckle brinksmanship brought about largely by centibillionaire Elon Musk. House Democrats voted overwhelmingly in favor of this new proposal, and President Joe Biden signaled he plans to sign it once it lands at his desk. That means, despite all the brouhaha this week, we might not face a federal shutdown at midnight after all.

The new bill passed the House by a vote of 366 to 34, and includes disaster relief for areas still recovering from storms as well as aid to farmers. It doesn’t include the debt-ceiling increase that President-elect Donald Trump thunderously demanded, however, which puts a big ol’ lump of coal in his stocking. It still has to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate, where the bill’s fate is unclear. Yet conventional D.C. wisdom would suggest that senators are unlikely to kill a bill supported by leadership from both parties in the House, and cause a shutdown right before Christmas.

The upshot is that Donald Trump achieved his first big legislative defeat since winning the November election, after Republicans balked at supporting his top demand. Surely, with negotiating tactics like these, it won’t be his last!

But enough of all that noise for now. This year is almost over — you made it! I, for one, say you deserve a break. I’m taking one myself: What A Day will be off until Monday, January 6 next year, when I’ll be right back at it, with the whole Crooked crew, ready for whatever this crazy new year has in store. In the meantime, let’s all take a breather.

Have a look at some of these amazing pet photos you incredible readers sent in this year. The What A Day pet fam absolutely rules. (Sometimes I can’t believe this is part of my job.)

See you in 2025!

— Matt

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