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Two Cheers for a Semi-Normal Appropriations Process
Sens. Susan Collins, right, and Patty Murray prepare for the Senate Appropriations Committee markup of spending bills for the Commerce and Justice departments on July 10, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Politics
Philip Wallach /

Two Cheers for a Semi-Normal Appropriations Process

Shutdowns aside, the 2026 spending bills represent a victory for bipartisanship and Congress fulfilling its duties.
Sens. Susan Collins, right, and Patty Murray prepare for the Senate Appropriations Committee markup of spending bills for the Commerce and Justice departments on July 10, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Is it too kind to give any cheers at all to Congress’ appropriators during the second government shutdown of this fiscal year? Should we need to congratulate our legislators for the simple achievement of keeping the lights on—when they haven’t even managed that?

Well, in this 119th Congress, we are grading on a curve.

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Philip Wallach

Philip Wallach is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of "Why Congress.”

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