This week, Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that funds the federal government through Friday, December 20. In recent years, funding the federal government has become an exercise in governing by crisis. Everyone in Congress knows these deadlines exist, but congressional leadership uses them to force members to vote for either CRs or omnibus spending bills packed with other legislative items that have nothing to do with funding the government. If members don’t vote for these bills, leadership says, the government will shut down.

FreedomWorks’ activist-chosen dumpster fire of the month for April 2019 is the “Democracy Dollars” Act, H.R. 1613, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wa.). This bill is actually a portion of February’s dumpster fire of the month, the “For the People” Act. Jayapal’s bill would grant $25 to each voter to donate to the congressional candidate of their choosing. This means that your tax dollars could be subsidizing candidates with whom you disagree.

On Wednesday, FreedomWorks sent a coalition letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) signed by representatives from more than 30 organizations against H.R. 1. This legislation would have the effect of nationalizing elections, make the Federal Elections Commission a partisan entity, and have a chilling effect on political speech. Signers to the letter include Adam Brandon of FreedomWorks, Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, Pete Sepp of the National Taxpayers Union, Tim Chapman of Heritage Action, and David McIntosh of the Club for Growth. The text of the letter is below and a PDF of the letter and the signers can be found here.

FreedomWorks’ activist-chosen dumpster fire of the month for February 2019 is the so-called “For the People" Act, H.R. 1. Last week’s live stream featured four bills -- the Federal Civilian Workforce Pay Raise Fairness Act, the "For the People" Act, the State And Local Tax (SALT) Deduction Fairness Act, and the Prescription Drug Price Relief Act. These bills are made out to sound like good things, but it is quickly revealed that they are but thinly-veiled dumpster fires.

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to oppose the so-called “For the People Act,” H.R. 1. Introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), the For the People Act would deter political free speech and federalize elections. This is one of the more bold-faced assaults on the First Amendment that has come through Congress in quite some time.

The House and Senate are in session this week.

The federal government shutdown at midnight on Saturday because the Senate was not able to pass a spending deal. Both the House and Senate were in session on Saturday and Sunday. Members from both parties in both chambers spent time blaming each other for the shutdown. House and Senate Democrats also spent a lot of time on the floor blaming President Trump.