Bread and Circus: The Complete Record of American Governance
Today’s newsletter covers official U.S. government happenings from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches yesterday, as well as key economic indicators. Below, you’ll find concise summaries of each document, with links to the original sources for further reading.
What Happened Yesterday:
🦅 Executive Branch: No activity
🏛️ Legislative Branch: 2 documents (1 Congressional Record - Daily Digest, 1 Congressional Record - Senate Section)
⚖️ Judicial Branch: No activity
📊 Economic Indicators: No activity
Total words condensed: 33,844 into 800
The Big Picture
On November 8, 2025, the Senate began discussing a key bill to keep government funding running through fiscal year 2026. This step is crucial to avoid a government shutdown, which would halt many public services and disrupt daily life. Although the Senate spent several hours debating, they did not complete voting on the bill, and the House of Representatives held only a brief session with no committee activity. This delay highlights ongoing challenges in reaching agreement on budget matters, putting pressure on lawmakers to finalize funding soon to maintain government operations.
The Senate debate also revealed sharp partisan disagreements, especially over healthcare funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized proposals to send large direct payments from the government to insurance companies without clear oversight, arguing it bypasses taxpayers’ interests. Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham defended the current healthcare system’s financial benefits to insurers but acknowledged the strain on government workers and the public during funding delays. These exchanges underscore a continuing divide over healthcare policy and government spending priorities, with no immediate resolution in sight.
Pattern to Watch
A clear pattern emerging is the increasing difficulty Congress faces in passing timely budget bills, leading to reliance on temporary funding measures. The Senate’s partial progress on the fiscal year 2026 funding bill, combined with the absence of House committee work and ongoing partisan disputes, signals a trend of budget gridlock. This pattern risks repeated short-term funding extensions, which can create uncertainty for government employees, contractors, and citizens relying on federal programs. Watch for whether Congress can complete the funding bill by mid-November to avoid a shutdown, or if debates over healthcare funding and insurance payments further stall progress, potentially escalating political and economic disruptions.
🦅 Executive Branch
No activity today.
🏛️ Legislative Branch
Congressional Record
On November 8, 2025, the Senate worked on starting to discuss a bill called H.R.5371, which is about keeping government funding going for the next year (fiscal year 2026) so that government programs don’t stop working. The Senate met from noon to 5 p.m. but did not finish voting on this bill yet. The House of Representatives did not meet that day except for a short, formal session planned for November 10. No committees met or held hearings in either the Senate or the House on this day. This action is important because it helps prevent a government shutdown by making sure money is available for government services while Congress works on full budget bills. Read full document →
Random excerpts from the Senate
Chuck Schumer, minority leader of the U.S. Senate, came to the floor with his most recent ransom note. Of course, it wasn’t serious. It was dead on arrival. Senator Schumer is demanding that the U.S. Government send a check directly to the insurance companies of America to the tune of tens and tens and tens of billions of dollars, right from the government, mainlined and into the bank accounts of the insurance companies of America. Chuck Schumer actually cuts the people--the American people, the taxpayers--out of the process. The people who are waiting for food, the people who are waiting for paychecks, the people who are protecting us--it cuts them out completely. Nope. Direct money--Chuck Schumer, U.S. Government--into the bank accounts of the insurance companies of America. Think about it. Direct payment, U.S. Government to U.S. insurance companies, with the American people having absolutely no say in how that money is spent. That is what Chuck Schumer wants. No accountability.
— Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Minority Leader
So here we are on a Saturday. It is beautiful outside. Every day gets better for us. If you are trying to get through the airport today, probably not true. If you are working for the government and not getting paid, not a good day for you, not a good day for us, not a good day for the country. This is going on way too long. Too many people are being damaged for no good purpose. We are not going to be extorted, held hostage. You are not going to terrorize the country to make us do something that makes no sense. I would like to work on healthcare, but we are not going to extend the debacle called ObamaCare. So “every day gets better for us.” You need to ask yourself in America: Is that true for you? I don’t think so. Let me tell you who has a good day today: healthcare insurance companies. In 2024, UnitedHealthcare made $817 million per day under ObamaCare. So it is definitely a good day for them.
