Congress is back in session and there’s a lot on the agenda — from a potential government shutdown to the ongoing battle over the Epstein files. On this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle is joined by the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French to talk about whether the Democrats should shut down the government and Congress’s weakening role under Trump.
‘Democrats Should Let the Government Shut Down’
On this week’s round table, three Opinion writers discuss how to fight Trump’s takeover.Below is a transcript of an episode of “The Opinions.” We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYT Audio app, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.
The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Michelle Cottle: This week we’re going to tackle one of my very favorite subjects, which is Congress.
They’re back from their time off, and are all geared up to defend our democracy or not. Well, however they choose to roll on the docket. They have a lot to do; it’s a huge to-do list. There is government funding, a possible government shutdown, a bill that would force the White House to release everything it knows about Jeffrey Epstein.
And then the bigger question that is always looming amid President Trump’s bulldozing of checks and balances: Does Congress even have any power anymore? Which I think we’re going to get into a lot.