The Art of the Raw Deal

11.11.25

Happy Tuesday (and Veteran’s Day) and welcome back to today’s edition of Common Sense with Ally Sammarco—your daily briefing on politics. Let’s break it down.

Day 42 of the Shutdown: The Finish Line Is in Sight (ICYMI)….After 42 days of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Congress is inching toward reopening the government. The Senate passed a 60–40 stopgap deal on Monday, and the package now heads to the House for a final vote as soon as Wednesday. The bill funds most agencies through January 30 and includes three full-year appropriations bills to keep key departments running, however does not address the expiration of key ACA subsidies. House Speaker Mike Johnson has already told members to rush back to Washington—warning of potential travel chaos as flight cancellations mount. Neither chamber meets Tuesday in observance of Veterans Day, but the race is on to end the standoff before the week’s end. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to cancel 6% of flights at 40 major airports on Tuesday, up from 4% last week, as unpaid air-traffic controllers struggle to keep the system running safely.

Common Sense takeaway: Yesterday, I reported on this news and was supportive of the Democrat’s attempt to re-open the government. But after giving it more thought: I do not think this is the right move. This bill leaves negotations on ACA subsidies up in the air until after the deadline for ACA enrollment ends. Additionally, under Joe Biden, medical debt could not impact your credit score. Trump reversed that. If millions can’t afford insurance, they’ll not only lose coverage—they could destroy their credit for life.

Senators Slip a $500,000 “Data Privacy” Bonus into Shutdown Deal….Buried deep in the government shutdown deal is a provision that could pay off—literally—for several Republican senators. The clause allows any senator to sue the federal government for up to $500,000 if their data was seized or subpoenaed without notice, dating back to January 2022. The measure appears tailor-made to let GOP senators retaliate against the Justice Department over special counsel Jack Smith’s 2023 investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. That probe included the FBI obtaining limited call records (not content) from eight senators and one congressman who had spoken to Trump in the days surrounding January 6, 2021. The senators—Lindsey Graham, Josh Hawley, Ron Johnson, Tommy Tuberville, and others—were furious when the records came to light last month, accusing the Biden administration of “weaponizing” the DOJ. Senator Chuck Grassley called the surveillance “arguably worse than Watergate.” Under the new law, if the FBI or DOJ seeks senators’ data in the future, service providers must notify both the senator’s office and the Senate sergeant-at-arms—unless that senator is a target of a criminal investigation. Lawsuits can be filed for any past data seizures after January 2022, which covers the Smith probe exactly.

Common Sense takeaway: This is some bullshit—frankly—and another reason why I do not support this bill. GOP Senators are looking for a payday while Americans are missing paychecks. They’re using the shutdown as a tool to line their own pockets and there is nothing more despicable than that.

Shutdown Deal Quietly Adds $203.5 Million for Lawmaker Security….To add insult to injury, the new shutdown-ending funding package sets aside $203.5 million to enhance security for lawmakers—on top of the $3.5 billion allocated for House and Senate operations through 2026. Each senator’s office will get an additional $750,000 to cover “protective security … at all times,” including for their homes. The Senate sergeant-at-arms will coordinate new security programs, while the House sergeant-at-arms gets $100 million to protect members and their families. The U.S. Capitol Police will also see its budget jump to $852.2 million. Lawmakers cite a rise in political violence and threats as justification for the spending hike—especially after several high-profile incidents targeting members of Congress. But the optics are hard to ignore: the same bill that left key federal programs under temporary funding through January also padded congressional budgets for personal protection.

Common Sense takeaway: Again, more self-serving spending while welfare programs are being cut left and right. This is despicable. Who needs an ADDITIONAL $750,000 for security—nevertheless when they aren’t even present at their home? This should not be covered at the taxpayer’s expense. Political violence is a threat to many people speak out, but they don’t go around asking for handouts for security.

Trump Pardons Giuliani, Meadows, and Dozens Involved in 2020 Election Scheme…..In a sweeping and deeply controversial move, President Trump has pardoned over 70 individuals involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election—including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and several so-called “false electors” from battleground states. The pardons were confirmed by the White House and described as “ending a grave national injustice” and advancing “national reconciliation.” The list of recipients reads like a who’s who of Trump-world loyalists: John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, and Boris Epshteyn — all central figures in Trump’s push to subvert the election. Giuliani, disbarred and bankrupt after being found liable for defamation against Georgia election workers, said he was “deeply grateful.” The document notably excludes Trump himself, sidestepping the constitutional question of whether a president can pardon himself. It also cannot affect ongoing state-level prosecutions in Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Michigan.

Common Sense takeaway: Another subversion of justice and an egregious misuse of presidential pardons. These people were indicted based on legitimate attempts to subvert the will of the people and overturn the 2020 election. The only upside here is that many of these recipients also had state-level prosecutions that they cannot be pardoned for (and quite a few lawsuits they still have to pay.)

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense. Check back tomorrow for more.