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We are on day 16 of a government shutdown.

Your fourth government shutdown since coming to Congress,

there is an old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again

and expecting different results. At the end of the week, Washington empties out fast. Lawmakers,

staffers, they're all heading home.

But not before they stop here.

Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Punchable News Townhouse. I'm Anna Palmer, joined, of course, by the one and only.

Jake Sherman. I didn't know I was filling that in there. But here I am. We're ripping here at the top. That's what they tell us anyway. We are on day 16 of the government shutdown. Both sides are dug in. And there is no resolution in sight, Jay. Zero. zero. We're still here, day 16 with no resolution, no movement at all.

The house isn't here and we have the perfect guest.

I don't know how we get this lucky, but I think it also has to do with our great staff and

our great team at Punchful News.

And who do we have? Drum roll. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Leader from Louisiana. So when Anna and I have covered for longer, well, I guess my gray hair does show how long I've been covering him for. But he is a key figure here. And here's what's interesting, Anna. People don't remember this. Steve Scalise is a longtime member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Right. a key figure here. And here's what's interesting, Anna, people don't remember this. Steve Scalise is a longtime member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Right. So he has been around, unlike Mike Johnson, unlike Tom Emmer, he has been around for the

totality of the Republicans kind of fits and starts on health care, which is, I don't care

when anyone says it's at the heart.

Sorry.

Yeah, very dramatic.

There's a lot of energy here in the townhouse.

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