Week 42: Bought Time, Not Answers
from The Common Thread
This conservative news analysis episode, published Saturday, October 17, 2026, follows one pattern: Washington keeps stacking its hardest decisions into the weeks after the election. - The stopgap: A continuing resolution funds the government at FY2026 levels through December 11, with a possible shutdown starting December 12 and no FY2027 bills passed. - Surveillance: Section 702 lapsed in June, but FISA Court certifications keep collection authorized until March 2027, so that deadline forces no lame-duck vote. - Health premiums: Proposed 2027 ACA premiums rise a median of 15% with seven insurers exiting, and open enrollment starts November 1. - Debt: The FY2026 deficit was about $2 trillion, and net interest trails only Social Security. Max and Blake argue that delay is a decision. Congress's constitutional power of the purse and the case for limited government both depend on recorded votes that voters can judge. Local action: ask your representatives where they stand on the December 11 deadline, and review your marketplace plan before November 1 auto-renewal. New episodes every Saturday.
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