SHUTDOWN SCARIES — There was a moment midway through House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark’s town hall in Waltham over the weekend when frustration bubbled over.
“It’s not enough!” people shouted as someone in the crowd of anxious constituents waved a sign featuring a request: “Try doing something.”
Democrats in Congress have struggled to shake the notion that they’re not doing enough — or at least something, as Saturday’s sign-waver noted — to keep President Donald Trump and his newly created Department of Government Efficiency in check.
Now, with Congress barreling toward a potential government shutdown Friday, Democrats are weighing a tough calculus: whether to lend Republicans enough votes to keep most government operations from grinding to a halt — or risk a shutdown until they can extract some concessions from the ruling party.
Narrowly avoiding a shutdown has become a regularity in Washington in recent years. Passing stopgap continuing spending resolutions has been the norm for a while now, but Republicans’ narrow majority in the House has meant they’ve regularly had to get help from Democrats to keep money flowing to fund the government.
Now Democrats are weighing whether it's time for the break-glass measure.
The challenge: Government shutdowns are historically unpopular, and can be politically damaging to the party seen as responsible. The five-week partial shutdown that bled from 2018 into 2019 meant furloughs for many federal workers and strained working conditions for others. But with tens of thousands already out of a job as a result of DOGE’s cuts — and with a base itching to see them take action to check Trump’s power — Democrats are leaving the door open.
In a letter to members over the weekend, Clark, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar didn’t explicitly tell them to vote no on the CR Republicans unveiled Saturday Clark on Saturday didn’t definitively indicate that shutdown is imminent. But she was already trying to get ahead of Republicans who will likely seek to blame the minority if they can’t get enough members of their own caucus on board with the funding patch.
“There's never been a shutdown in this country where one party controls the White House and the House and the Senate, so don't look at us. Don't look at us,” she said.
GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Hope you all enjoyed the extra hour of sunlight last night.
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll make an energy affordability announcement at 11 a.m. in Lowell and huddle with legislative leaders at 2 p.m. in Healey’s office.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com.
DATELINE BEACON HILL
— “Diana DiZoglio acknowledged ‘threats’ to impartiality in legislative audit, records show,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “State Auditor Diana DiZoglio acknowledged multiple times over the past two years that there are “threats” to her ability to impartially audit the Legislature because of her past work as a Massachusetts lawmaker, according to paperwork she signed obtained by the Herald. But in each of the documents, the former legislator maintained she is able to direct a bias-free audit of the House and Senate because of multiple safeguards and guidance her office received from a federal agency during a meeting in 2023 ahead of her first legislative probe. The Auditor’s General Counsel, Michael Lueng-Tat, said DiZoglio continues to be involved in the legislative audit effort because the office consulted with the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which ‘indicated that our assessments regarding independence threats and safeguards are consistent with’ general auditing standards found in the so-called Yellow Book.”
‘FED UP’ — In the wake of DOGE’s federal job cuts, Gov. Maura Healey’s office launched a new website Friday featuring resources for fired federal workers and highlighting open positions in state government. Other states, like New York and Pennsylvania, have made similar efforts to attract former federal employees. More from the Boston Globe.
FROM THE HUB
ABOUT WU'S LEGAL TEAM — The team Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hired from Cahill Gordon & Reindel for $650,000 to help with her congressional hearing prep was led by Ed O’Callaghan, who previously served in the Justice Department as principal counselor to the deputy attorney general, according to a member of Wu’s team who participated in the preparation.
Wu also had a hand from a crew at WilmerHale — the firm that helped prepped two of the college presidents before their testimony. The WilmerHale team, who helped out pro bono, was led by Wu’s longtime mentor, Bill Lee, and formal prep sessions were held in WilmerHale’s Boston and D.C. offices.
— “Boston advocacy groups push back against proposed school closures,” by John Hilliard, The Boston Globe: “A coalition of 17 Boston advocacy groups critical of four proposed school closures next year called on the city’s public schools administrators last week to produce a long-range facilities plan in collaboration with families and advocates. In a statement, the Build BPS/Green New Deal Stakeholders Coalition said the proposed closures of the Dever Elementary School, and the Excel, Mary Lyon Pilot, and Community Academy high schools disproportionately harm low-income Black and Latino students. The group said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper should create a new plan for the future use and closures of school buildings with greater community input.”
— “Boston city employees cash in thousands with unused sick and vacation time,” by Joe Dwinell and Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “More than 30 city employees cashed in on unused vacation and sick time last year, boosting their take-home pay by more than $100,000 in a public-sector perk a fiscal watchdog is warning must end. They were not alone. Another 135 city employees also used the ‘other’ category to pad their gross pay, a Herald analysis of Boston’s 2024 payroll shows. It’s all a budgetary danger zone, warns Marty Walz, interim president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau.”
THE RACE FOR CITY HALL
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — State Reps. Mike Moran and Kevin Honan and Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon endorsed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at Moran’s St. Patrick’s Day Brunch in Allston over the weekend.
— “Kraft blasts Wu’s $650K sanctuary city hearing prep tab,” by Matthew Medsgar, Boston Herald: “Mayoral candidate Josh Kraft took aim at his opponent, incumbent Michell Wu, over the weekend, blasting her for spending over half a million dollars to prepare for her grilling by the House Oversight Committee in Washington last week. ‘I understand preparation, but in a time when the city is becoming more and more fiscally vulnerable, I think $650,000 preparation is a lot of money. There should have — if it was me — I would have looked at other, more cost effective measures, to prepare for testimony in D.C.,’ Kraft told WCVB in an interview aired Sunday. … Kraft also said Wu could have made last Wednesday’s trip with a significantly smaller entourage. Wu’s rival said he would have left behind most of the dozen or so staffers who went along with the mayor on her trip.”
— “At Malden town hall, Mass. Sen. Markey makes case against ‘Muskocracy’,” by John L. Micek, MassLive: “U.S. Sen. Ed Markey calls himself a proud son of Malden. And on Saturday, he returned to his hometown to hold a town hall with constituents at Malden High School. There, he said he wanted to emphasize the ground-level impact of the massive federal funding and staffing cuts pursued by President Donald Trump and his tech billionaire ally Elon Musk.”
— “Auchincloss says he'll fight for Fall River Social Security office: His take on 5 issues,” by Dan Medeiros, The Herald News: “About 300 people from across southern Massachusetts turned out for a town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss on Saturday afternoon, where the congressman promised to fight a potential closure of the Social Security Administration office. For a little over an hour, the third-term congressman responded to questions from the crowd on everything from President Donald Trump’s opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion policies, to the bankruptcy of Steward Health Care, to high energy bills.”
— “Mass. Rep. Moulton seeks answers on VA cuts impact on vets' crisis line,” by John L. Micek, MassLive: “U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, joined by a Nebraska Republican, is pressing the Trump administration to explain sweeping cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs that may have scooped up workers who deal with veterans in crisis. The agency plans to cut more than 80,000 workers to return it to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000 employees, Reuters reported earlier this week. … This week, Moulton, D-6th District, fired off a letter, co-signed by U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general, to VA Secretary Doug Collins, seeking clarity on the reductions and their potential impact on workers who staff the Veterans Crisis Line.”
THE LOCAL ANGLE
— “Can Everett’s mayor keep settlement from a lawsuit funded by campaign contributions? Past opinions say no,” by Stephanie Ebbert, The Boston Globe: “Already under pressure to repay $180,000 in city funds that the state’s inspector general said were improperly paid to him, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. could face demands to surrender a significantly larger sum that he won in a recent legal settlement. Three months ago, DeMaria announced the owner and publisher of a local newspaper had agreed to pay him $1.1 million to settle a defamation claim. To pay for the lawsuit, DeMaria had tapped his political campaign fund and created a separate legal defense fund through the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance.”
— “MeVa question: Drop in ridership tied to ICE jitters or winter weather?,” by Terry Date, The Eagle-Tribune: “How to meet the moment at a time when aggressive enforcement of immigration laws is a stated goal of the Trump Administration? MeVa bus transit officials and board members posed this question at a regular meeting late this week. It generated wide and delicate discussion but no definitive answers, though a general consensus emerged around a desire to craft an appropriate response to any aggressive enforcement actions, a response that is legal and respects individual rights.”
— “City locks in final ARPA spending plans,” by Grace Ferguson, The New Bedford Light: “New Bedford has finalized plans to spend the last of its federal pandemic relief dollars, meeting a critical deadline at the end of last year. … New Bedford locked in about $16 million during the last three months of 2024, according to the latest spending report, released last week. The vast majority of those dollars were obligated in December alone. The city mainly followed its previous spending plans, but made a few new commitments, including $1.1 million more for the Zeiterion and $476,000 more for lighting in Brooklawn Park.”
— “Norton election to feature two races,” by Stephen Peterson, The Sun Chronicle: “It appears there will be a three-way race for two select board seats and four candidates are vying for three planning board seats in the April 26 annual town election. That was the picture by Friday’s deadline to return nomination papers, according to Town Clerk Jill Seppa. The candidates for the two three-year seats on the five-member select board are former longtime selectman Robert Kimball, board chairman Steven Hornsby, and former school board and planning board member Kevin O’Neill, who now sits on the permanent building committee.”
— “Former Boston ICE office director selected to lead national agency as acting director,” by Susannah Sudborough, MassLive: “The former director of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Boston Field Office has been selected by the Trump administration to head the agency’s national office. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced Todd Lyons' appointment as acting director of ICE in a social media post and interview with CBS News on Sunday. Noem also announced that Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Madison Sheahan would serve as deputy director of ICE.”
HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Dave Newman
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