Prepare for February
That’s when the next government shutdown will happen, and we need to be ready. Trump showed he’ll leverage any pain he can: sudden disruption to travel, illegal firings and even starving children. The deal Democrats just made puts us in a stronger position in February, but it’ll take another shutdown to leverage that power, so our job is to prepare. The more ready we are, the less pressure Democrats will feel to negotiate, but we have messaging work to do too. Read on and then call your Senator and tell them we’ll be ready, so they better fight.
How to do it:
First, we probably need to explain why we aren’t calling for Democrat’s heads. The deal five Democrats just negotiated to re-open the government briefly through the holidays might be a brilliant move—if we leverage it. One of the biggest wins is that SNAP is funded through next September. The GOP can’t hold starving children hostage to get what they want. Not until the midterms, anyway. Certainly not in February, when the government shuts down without another dea. There are a number of other wins, from a vote on the Epstein files to re-hiring RIFed federal workers and protecting Blue states that paid SNAP. Read why this might have been brilliant.
To leverage this improved position, the Democrats have to shut the government down again. (If that isn’t the plan, then this was just capitulation.) We assume the best, and prepare for an even longer shutdown. This time, we prepare to weather the effects.
- Be frugal this holiday season. Economic harm continues, and federal furloughs cascade through the community. It will be some time before we see a healthy economy again.
- If you began engaging in mutual aid, KEEP GOING. Momentum matters.
- If you’re on SNAP, check for new paperwork. Rule changes Nov1 were obscured by the shutdown.
- Slowly store supplies. Cargo shipments are disrupted by air traffic reductions.
- Don’t book discretionary travel after February 1st. Trump used air travel as a lever.
- Onboarding volunteers takes time and effort. Over the holidays many food banks hold “new volunteer friendly” events you can join, or begin the vetting process now, to start in January.
- If you make annual holiday donations, make them recurring instead.
- If you can’t afford ACA coverage at the new rates, but could probably squeak out three months, consider signing up in case subsidies are restored. You can cancel any time, but can (usually) only sign up during open enrollment.
- Call your Senator, and tell them this: “I’m preparing for a long government shutdown starting February 1st, 2026. I’m building my own resilience and engaged in mutual aid. We’ll be ready, so I expect you to hold the line until the GOP restores ACA and Medicaid funding. If you can’t do that, I’ll be checking my primary ballot for energetic upstarts.”
