Jen Bendery
@jbendery.bsky.social
55K followers 410 following 3.9K posts
I report on Congress, the White House + political campaigns for HuffPost. President emeritus of the Washington Press Club Foundation. Mama. 🏳️‍🌈 Tips: [email protected] / [email protected] Signal: jbendery.41
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jbendery.bsky.social
Speaking of Jane Goodall, my favorite quote by her:

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Reposted by Jen Bendery
dconrad.bsky.social
When I see a politician who stands up for trans rights, even though I am a cis white man, I know that is a politician who will stand up for the most oppressed group in America, and therefore will stand up for everyone, trans, gay, straight, Black, Latin, Asian, anyone.
katelynburns.com
I wrote a little about some of the little details you might have missed in this video and why it hit me so hard as a trans person this morning:

www.burnsnotice.com/you-have-to-...
Reposted by Jen Bendery
kylegriffin1.bsky.social
The Trump administration has been spreading anti-vaccine propaganda for months. Tonight, Trump's physician announced he just received a flu shot and a COVID booster.
Reposted by Jen Bendery
paulwaldman.bsky.social
It's a two-fer, you get your antisemitic conspiracy theory AND the insistence that there is no such thing as sincere progressive opinion, it couldn't possibly be that people are genuinely pissed off so they must have been paid to protest.
atrupar.com
Sen. Roger Marshall: "October 18 is when the protest gets here. This will be a Soros paid-for protest for his professional protesters. The agitators show up. We'll have to get the National Guard out. Hopefully it will be peaceful. I doubt it."
Reposted by Jen Bendery
sherylnyt.bsky.social
BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:
jbendery.bsky.social
Activists are planning to install a 3,000-pound ice sculpture of the word “DEMOCRACY” on the National Mall next week, something tourists will be able to watch slowly melt away in a statement about the weakened state of democracy under Trump. www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
Activists To Install 3,000-Pound ‘DEMOCRACY’ Ice Sculpture On National Mall
www.huffpost.com
Reposted by Jen Bendery
donmoyn.bsky.social
Re-upping this piece on news that Vought is firing federal employees:
*Vought lying that shutdowns compel layoffs, never have before.
*Layoffs are a choice, the shutdown is an excuse.
*Comes on top of existing RIFs, will make restoring govt services harder post-shutdown.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Shutdown hostage taking
Russ Vought's threatens more mass firings; SCOTUS blesses his de facto impoundment
substack.com
Reposted by Jen Bendery
dgfromfw.bsky.social
If Michelle Obama had ever said this the entirety of the GOP’s heads would have exploded simultaneously.
atrupar.com
Melania Trump: "President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication."
jbendery.bsky.social
The groups Mike Johnson is referring to when he says "these people" are holding a "hate America rally":

The ACLU
Bernie Sanders
Faithful America
League of Conservation Voters
MoveOn
Reproductive Freedom For All
SEUI www.nokings.org/about-nk
ABOUT — No Kings
www.nokings.org
jbendery.bsky.social
The organizers behind the No Kings Day of Action on October 18 -- the event Johnson called a "hate America rally" -- have this to say in response.

"After a few moments of laughter, the No Kings coalition issued the following statement"
jbendery.bsky.social
That message appears to be stressing out at least some House Republicans who are getting antsy about their party’s political strategy for this shutdown, amid bad polling for their party and as Democrats hold out longer than expected. www.huffpost.com/entry/govern...
Republicans Begin Grumbling About Their Shutdown Strategy
The shutdown remains a stalemate, but there are some new cracks on the Republican side.
www.huffpost.com
jbendery.bsky.social
Jeffries repeatedly dings House Republicans for being back in their districts, not in D.C., as Dems are here amid the shutdown.

"Republicans in the House have decided to remain on vacation," he said. "They're not serious about reopening the government."
jbendery.bsky.social
"We were here last week, we're here this week, we will continue to be here to make clear to the American people ... that we want to find a bipartisan path forward," he said.

"We want to reopen the government."
jbendery.bsky.social
"As if we're supposed to just bend the knee to extreme Republican demands?" Jeffries continued. "Join them in passing a partisan Republican spending bill that guts the health care of the American people?"

"It's not going to happen."
jbendery.bsky.social
Hakeem Jeffries on Mike Johnson getting upset at a press event today, banging the lectern, trying to blame Dems for troops not being paid amid the shutdown:

"I don't get why my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are getting emotional about their failed approach ... to governing."
Reposted by Jen Bendery
digiphile.bsky.social
My neighborhood is full of free expression these days.

I have a feeling many of our Halloween 🎃 pumpkins are going to be …lit this year.
jbendery.bsky.social
And this one

(That phone number is to the Heritage Foundation)
jbendery.bsky.social
Spotted on Capitol Hill this morning
Reposted by Jen Bendery
jfallows.bsky.social
Adventures in framing:

Headline presenting this as a real-world question. Rather than as another sign of deepening vortex of narcissistic delusion and detachment from reality.
Headline: Trump Has His Eyes on Nobel Prize. Will He Get It?