Access to affordable credit helps me pay my employees, but I don't really need it.

Infliction is killing me!

But who cares? Big retailers are making record profits!

That's why we support the Durban Marshall Credit Card Bill!

See? Banks and credit unions help small businesses make payroll.

This bill would cut the vital resources they need.

While increasing megastore profits, they deserve it. Don't they?

Tell Congress, stop the Durban Marshall money grab for corporate megastores.

Paid for it by the Electronic Payments Coalition.

From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

Federal workers again braced to receive partial paychecks as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security reaches week two.

Where might Americans soon start noticing the effects?

And do Democrats show any signs yet of giving on their demands to overhaul immigration enforcement? Plus, big tech companies prepare to come to Washington next week for what the White

House says is a deal to bring their own electricity to all of those new AI data centers.

Welcome, I'm Kyle Peterson with the Wall Street Journal. We're joined today by my colleagues on the WSJ's opinion pages,

columnists Kim Strassel and Alicia Finley. The partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security

drags on after the Senate on Tuesday failed to advance a bill to restore funding. And workers

with the Transportation Security Administration this week are preparing to receive

partial paychecks.

The Coast Guard says on its FAQ page that civilian workers will receive approximately 50% of

their next paycheck on or around March 2nd.

Kim, you wrote your newsletter last week about the breadth of the Department

...