For the 29th straight year, Congress is about to fail to fulfill its most basic duty to pass full-year appropriations for the coming year. Talks have begun about yet another “continuing resolution” to avoid a government shutdown.

Only this time it’s different.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted the right to ignore statutory appropriations and spend or not spend whatever sums he chooses, including closing down entire programs and agencies created and funded by Congress.

With the Supreme Court so far unwilling to halt this unconstitutional power grab, members of Congress of both parties have a stark choice: Either leverage the looming shutdown to reassert their control over the federal purse or retreat into political and constitutional irrelevance.

This

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