Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says the Senate will not approve the roughly $100 billion in additional budget cuts sought by the MAGA-esque House Freedom Caucus, the right-leaning Washington Times reports. Congress has until September 30 to approve the budget in order to avoid a federal government shutdown, though Democrats are expected to propose a continuing resolution that would extend funding at current levels through December. 

Get ready for Christmas Eve on Capitol Hill!

Also in this column …

•Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has filed his annual financial disclosure report, with some details on luxury trips he took at the beneficence of Texas billionaire Harlan Crow. What do you think? Should Congress impose new ethics rules on the Supreme Court, or would such rules damage judicial independence?

•Pundit-at-large Stephen Macaulay laments the dearth of worthy Republican presidential candidates at last month’s debate in Milwaukee. Read “Is This All There Is?” by scrolling down the page via the trackbar on the far right (no irony intended). 

Comment on these issues and/or other recent political news and issues in the appropriate section in this column or on the left column, or email editors@thehustings.news and please, indicate your political leaning in the subject line.