Government shutdown sparks new round of partisan finger‑pointing
Today’s newsletter highlights
- A Georgia House resolution addresses the war in Iran.
- Tulsi Gabbard set to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
- Georgia lawmakers are likely to crack down on chronically absent students this year.
Blame game
Republicans are trying to turn the partial government shutdown into a political weapon against Georgia Democrats, seizing on reports of hourslong lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“Atlanta airport lines: a mess. Jon Ossoff: missing,” the Georgia GOP said in a blast accusing Democrats of owning the standoff.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, a GOP Senate hopeful challenging Ossoff, went further: “Ossoff and Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security to protect illegal aliens.”
Ossoff and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock are among the Senate Democrats refusing to back a bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security unless it includes a significant overhaul of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They argue it’s their best leverage to force changes to an agency they say has become defined by harsh and, at times, deadly tactics.
Democrats have pushed to fund the rest of DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while continuing the fight over immigration enforcement. But Republicans have refused to split the department’s funding, insisting Democrats are blocking the entire package.
“There’s no reason that we shouldn’t be able to fund the rest of those agencies, including TSA, in the meantime,” Ossoff told WSB Radio. He said the real rift is narrower than Republicans claim.
“The disagreement, the dispute, is really limited to the tactics that have been used by ICE across the country,” Ossoff said.
With neither side budging, the shutdown fight is stretching on with no clear end. But Axios reported Democrats are devising a Hail Mary to end the standoff.
Things to know
Good morning! A new poll from state Rep. Jasmine Clark’s campaign for Congress says she is essentially tied with U.S. Rep. David Scott in the Democratic primary.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- Georgia is sticking with touchscreen voting machines for now, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
- Gov. Brian Kemp has suspended longtime Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch for 60 days following his February DUI arrest, the AJC’s Shaddi Abusaid reports.
- City officials in Social Circle are pushing back against a Trump administration plan to convert a sprawling warehouse into a massive immigrant detention facility, the AJC’s Lautaro Grinspan reports.
War politics
Georgia lawmakers can’t do anything about the federal policies undergirding the war in Iran. But they can influence the politics.
The Georgia House could get a shot at that this week with House Resolution 1662. It would “recognize the leadership of President Donald J. Trump” and “commend the bravery and professionalism of men and women of the U.S. armed forces” while also acknowledging the “suffering endured by the Iranian people.”
If the resolution reaches the House floor, a committee hearing this week showed how the debate is likely to be both partisan and personal. State Rep. Martin Momtahan, R-Dallas, is the son of an Iranian immigrant who came to the U.S. before the Islamic Revolution.
“Many of my family members had to flee this country. When I say many, I just mean the ones who weren’t killed and buried below the square in Tehran,” he said. “These people are ruthless killers.”
On the other side is state Rep. Floyd Griffin, D-Milledgeville, a U.S. Army veteran who said his grandson is serving in the Middle East. He said the president shouldn’t have the power to send soldiers to war alone, but should consult Congress.
“Those who serve in uniform deserve more than our praise. They deserve the certainty that when we commit them to danger we have fully understood the mission and the consequences of that decision,” he said. “The cost of getting it wrong is not measured in speeches or resolutions. It is measured in the lives of the young Americans we send into harm’s way.”
Gabbard’s hot seat
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard will be in the spotlight today when she testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Much of the focus will be on her position on the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, a prospect she has long criticized. But it will also give lawmakers a chance to grill Gabbard about her presence at an FBI raid of Fulton County election records in January.
Democrats and others questioned why the nation’s top intelligence official was in Union City that day with dozens of federal agents.
Gabbard wrote in a letter to members of Congress that Trump requested she be there, adding that she later “facilitated a brief phone call for the President” so he could thank the federal agents involved. Trump has said Gabbard was there at the request of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Driving privileges
It looks like Georgia lawmakers are likely to crack down on chronically absent students this year.
A proposal from newly elected state Sen. Jason Dickerson would require schools to develop an “attendance intervention plan” with students who miss 10% or more of the school year. But it’s the penalties that are getting most of the attention.
Students with persistent problems would be ineligible to play sports or do other extracurricular activities. And state officials could even withhold licenses from first-time drivers.
The bill has already passed the Senate. Tuesday, it had a hearing before a House subcommittee, where the only change was to move the implementation date to July 1, 2027.
State officials can already withhold driver’s licenses from students who are expelled or suspended. This bill would add “noncompliance with attendance intervention plan” to that list.
The number of chronically absent students in Georgia soared above 20% during and after the pandemic. But the rates have since slightly declined.
Under the Gold Dome
It’s Day 33 of the legislative session. Some happenings:
- 8 a.m.: Senate Transportation Committee meets to consider House Bill 1230, which would prohibit the operation of unmanned aircraft systems over places of incarceration.
- 10 a.m.: House convenes. Representatives are scheduled to debate Senate Bill 523, which would allow public schools and colleges and universities to consider antisemitism in the same manner as discrimination based on religion.
- 10 a.m.: Senate convenes.
- 1 p.m.: House Higher Education Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 556, which would allow for the inclusion of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate fine arts courses in the calculation of grade-point averages for the HOPE Scholarship.
- 1 p.m.: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meets to consider House Bill 442, which would automatically revoke commercial driver’s licenses for noncitizens after five years or the expiration of their visas, whichever comes first.
- 2 p.m.: House Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 418, which would let people file lawsuits about the unauthorized use of someone’s photograph depicting nudity or sexually explicit conduct. The committee will also consider Senate Bill 594, which would create the crime of digital identity fraud.
- 3 p.m.: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 605, which would provide additional grounds for removing a district attorney or solicitor general.
- 3 p.m.: House Governmental Affairs Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 423, which would prohibit political contributions from non-Georgia residents that exceed 50% of all contributions received.
- 4 p.m.: Senate Health and Human Services Committee meets to discuss House Bill 717, which would regulate the administration of psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we discuss whether Democratic congressional candidate Shawn Harris can compete in one of the reddest corners of the state. Plus, we dive into the impact of the partial federal government shutdown.
You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
Lengthy debate
The Senate on Tuesday started to debate the SAVE America Act, a Republican-led bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and picture ID at the polls.
Because Democrats plan to use the filibuster to block the bill, the chamber is holding marathon speeches and votes on amendments that could last days and possibly weeks. Democrats say they are willing to use procedural tactics to keep the debate going indefinitely, which is adding pressure from GOP activists who want Senate Republicans to nuke the filibuster to allow the legislation to pass with a simple majority.
Right now, there aren’t enough Republicans in the Senate willing to do that.
Congressional journalist Jamie Dupree wrote on X that if all 47 Senate Democrats spend two hours speaking on each of the seven proposed amendments on the bill, that “would be 1,974 hours of debate or 82+ days.”
Today in Washington
- Trump will participate in the dignified transfer of the remains of a service member killed during the war with Iran.
- The House will vote on a bill requiring Congress to pass a balanced budget and another allowing for the deportation of immigrants found to have abused public assistance programs.
- The Senate continues debate of the Republican-backed overhaul of federal voting laws known as the SAVE America Act.
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s nominee for secretary of Homeland Security, will participate in a confirmation hearing with the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
- Warnock and other Senate Democrats will join voting rights groups in a rally opposing the SAVE America Act.
Postmaster speaks
Postmaster General David Steiner said the U.S. Postal Service “is at a critical juncture,” warning the agency “will be out of cash in less than 12 months.”
“So in about a year from now, the Postal Service would be unable to deliver the mail if we continue the status quo,” Steiner told the U.S. House Oversight Committee during a hearing Tuesday.
Steiner leads an agency that has faced chronic money issues, especially as the digital revolution has led to a drastic decrease in mail volume. Former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s cost-cutting reorganization plan was blamed for massive delays in mail delivery in Georgia and other states in recent years.
U.S. Rep. Brian Jack, R-Peachtree City, who is on the committee, asked Steiner about issues at two post offices in his district. Steiner promised to look into the ongoing closure of a post office in Tyrone after it burned down in 2023 during DeJoy’s tenure. Steiner also said he would follow up with Jack about the post office in Thomaston, an aging facility with accessibility issues for the disabled and elderly.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthday
- State Sen. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
NeNe Leakes and Phaedra Parks, who rose to fame as stars of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” will be at the U.S. Capitol today lobbying members of Congress to expand access to HIV prevention and treatments, The Hill reports. The duo are among several current and former cast members participating in the “Housewives on the Hill” event backed by a telehealth company.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider information to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
Correction
This story was updated to correct the number of Democrats in the Senate.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
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