Shutdown/Epstein - Tom LoBianco Reports, Ep. 6
Congress is back! Just in time for the latest possible government shutdown and the continued Epstein Files battle. Join me at Noon ET for the next episode of Tom LoBianco Reports.
Support independent journalism, $5/month, $50/year. No billionaires, no bribes.
Welcome to the sixth episode of Tom LoBianco Reports, a new show from 24sight News and our friends at
. Every day, Monday through Friday, tune in here on Substack at Noon ET for a chat (usually) about the most pressing issues and (occasionally) about some lighter fare.Talk is cheap and opinions aplenty, but the story only reveals itself through reporting. Each weekday, I’ll bring you along as I report the story. Along with my friend and colleague
, we’ll dive down the late-night, screen-glazed rabbit hole of the modern interwebs, acting as your personal guide to what’s real and what’s complete bullshit.If you want to join live, tune in at Noon ET on Substack. If you miss me, then hop on over to The Political Voices Network for the evening replay. If you’ve got questions or comments, just reply to this email and I’ll see it.
*** Ian will be gathering your comments during the liveshow and I’ll dive in on them in the last 10-15 minutes of the show. You can drop them in the Substack chat during the show or reply to this email and we’ll see them. ***
Programming notes: Joining me for the show today at 12:15p, 24sight News ace Congressional correspondent and all-around plugged in scribe
, giving us the scoop on what to watch when Congress is back this week.In case you missed me yesterday on C-SPAN Washington Journal, catch up here. I had a great time chatting with John McArdle and fielding some questions on the state of Midterm elections, concerns about Trump’s National Guard deployments, the world of independent journalism and more.
Stop back at later today (Tuesday) at 2p ET, for a discussion with New York Times best-selling author, veteran journalist and new Substacker
— we’re trading notes on J.D. Vance vs. Mike Pence as Trump’s second-in-command. (Kate authored an excellent book on VPs and their relationships with presidents a few years ago, “First in Line”.)Coming up on today’s show:
The Top: Dueling Showdowns
Summer is over, the kids are back in school and lawmakers are back in Washington, though they may be yearning for the Mortal Kombat Town Halls of summer with what’s facing them.
Yet another government shutdown fight promises to occupy most of their September. And when they’re not scrapping on duct-taped budget fixes, the Epstein Files fight awaits them, with a rare bipartisan extravaganza planned for Wednesday (tomorrow.)
Pair that with the start, in earnest, of the Midterm Elections, and it’s easy to see why there have already been plenty of veteran lawmakers calling it quits.
The Nut Graf
According to Punchbowl News’ top Congressional reporters, the House and Senate, realistically have about 14 working days to come up with a budget fix to keep the lights on. And one of the biggest sticking items is how long they’ll patch things up this go round, a few months? A year?
Shutdown fights, in the almost evenly divided House and closely divided Senate, are de rigeur at this point. One new twist, however, is the slow death of the House Freedom Caucus tea party crowd which used to push most shutdown fights to brink, only to be replaced by an emboldened — after eight months of Trump’s second term — Democratic Party.
Hot Quote
“They’re going to be on the steps of the Capitol,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday, talking about victims of Jeffrey Epstein who are speaking out for the first time.
Khanna, along with Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican flamethrower and a handful of other Republicans and the House Democrats are trying to force the House to vote on releasing The Epstein Files.
It’s enough to make House Republican Leadership want to hideout in budget debates and literal smoke-filled rooms near the House Chamber in perpetuity.
Deep Background:
With Democrats spurred by an enraged base of voters and activists, and looking to corral that energy heading into the Midterm elections, speculation is the government very much could shut down on October 1st.
With the White House having spent months touting a dismantling of agencies, independent watchdogs and more, it’s almost worth pondering what left could be put on hold. Many of the services which had been valued widely around the country, like access to clean and pristine National Parks, already took a hit.
But previous shutdowns have offered a look at what it may look like if lawmakers don’t reach an agreement.
What’s Next
We’ve got a big week, even if it is a short week, for the second week of Tom LoBianco Reports. From the international (Russian kidnappings in Ukraine) to the domestic (what might a J.D. Vance presidency look like).
Catch up
Did you miss yesterday’s show? Watch it here! Every day’s live show, Noon ET, premiers at 8p ET on the Political Voices Network YouTube page.
Indiana Deepfake Series
Indiana Deepfake: Lt. Gov's office adopts new employee handbook, Gov. calls in Beckwith for meeting
Indiana Deepfake: Lawmaker whose wife targeted launching Congressional bid
BREAKING: Lt. Gov. spokesman quits amid deepfake probe, per sources
Topless deepfake video roils Indiana office, lawmaker's wife targeted, per sources
Help build the 24sight News community. Sign up, follow, subscribe, share, comment. Support the mission of real journalism, accountability, speaking truth to power.
YouTube | Bluesky | TikTok | X (when necessary) | The OG, Substack
News that cuts through
Sponsors of 24sight News get in front of our highly engaged audience of decisionmakers, professionals, thought leaders, national media and more. Get in touch to discuss sponsorship options: sales@24sight.news.