The checks and balance system seems to be working just like our founders intended. The House controls the federal budget. During the Obama Administration the Freedom Caucus was willing to shut down funding for the government in order to shrink the federal government. They are doing the same thing today. However, this time the Republican Party will be blamed if the House does not approve a spending bill that will keep the government in operation. Therefore, the Republicans in the House need votes from Democrats in order to get agreement on a spending bill. The House just passed a budget agreement that will fund the government for the remainder of this fiscal year which ends next September. Trump did not get funding for his Mexican border wall and he did not get funding to increase the budget for the border patrol. The Democrats were able to get funding for several important programs:
* Funding for Planned Parenthood will continue
* Funding for the National Institution of Health was increased
* Federal funding to sanctuary cities will not be cut
* Federal subsidies will not be eliminated for a critical aspect of Obamacare
As long as the GOP House remains divided it will very difficult for Trump to get bills through the House without support from Democrats. Even if some Trump priorities do get passed in the House, Democrats can block most bills by using the filibuster just like the GOP did during the Obama Administration.
Trump seems to be primarily interested in being worshiped by his base. He held a campaign rally in Pennsylvania instead of attending a dinner with the White House press corp that usually pokes fun at the president. We might be better off if we encouraged Trump to hold worship services and let others in the White House set the presidential agenda. He vented a lot of steam about his campaign promises and how he would make America Great Again. That does little harm to our nation.
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