Senator Eric Schmitt on Government Shutdown, 'No Kings' Protests, and Designating Antifa as a Terrorist Organization

Government Shutdown and 'No Kings' Protests

• 📌 The US government is currently in day 15 of a shutdown, with Republicans seeking a 7-week continuing resolution (CR) for level spending.
• ⚠️ Democrats are reportedly counter-offering with $1.5 trillion in additional spending, including healthcare for illegal immigrants and undoing previous rescissions.
• 🧠 Senator Schmitt attributes the Democrats' stance to "Trump derangement syndrome" and concerns about radical elements like AOC, suggesting they are unwilling to compromise before the "no kings" rally.
• 💡 Republicans view a clean CR as the only "exit ramp" to reopen the government and return to regular order.

Obamacare Subsidies and Healthcare Reform

• 🏥 Democrats are admitting Obamacare has been a disaster, with rising healthcare costs.
• 💰 The ACA subsidies in question were temporary, COVID-related measures for those making over 400% of the federal poverty level, passed without Republican votes.
• 📈 Senator Schmitt argues these subsidies primarily benefit insurance companies and do not necessarily lower healthcare costs for working families, suggesting the rising premiums are due to Obamacare's inherent flaws.
• 🗣️ He advocates for isolating healthcare discussions from government funding bills to allow for meaningful reform.

Legislative Strategy and Regular Order

• 🏛️ Republicans are aiming to return to regular order in the Senate, passing individual appropriations bills rather than relying on omnibus spending packages.
• 🤝 Bipartisan passage of appropriations bills requires 60 votes, indicating a need for cooperation.
• 🚀 The Senate plans to move the defense appropriations bill to the floor, which will test Democratic willingness to block military funding.
• ⚖️ Senator Schmitt supports structural reforms like Ron Johnson's "Stop the Government Shutdown Act" to incentivize timely appropriations.

Designating Antifa as an International Terrorist Organization

• 🚩 Senator Schmitt has called for designating Antifa as an international terrorist organization, not just a domestic one.
• 🌐 He highlights Antifa's transnational nature, with coordinated cells and funding flowing from Canada and Europe to the US for activities like the "stop cop city" protests.
• 💥 The proposal focuses on Antifa's use of violence, including Molotov cocktails and attacks on law enforcement, rather than political speech.
• 💰 Designating Antifa as international would allow for targeting their financial ties and disrupting their operations through coordinated efforts by the Treasury, DOJ, and FBI, as well as state attorneys general.
• 📚 Schmitt also promotes his new book, "How to Beat the Woke Left in Court," which discusses strategies against progressive movements.