A shutdown that no one seems to feel is a political story begging for a plot twist. We sit down with Congressman Barry Loudermilk to unpack why this standoff looks different, how a “clean” continuing resolution became a flashpoint, and what happens when SNAP deadlines collide with Senate filibuster math. The headline isn’t just funding—it’s leverage. When policy riders hitch a ride on short-term spending, the real fight shifts to who controls the agenda months from now and who gets blamed when the lights stay on but trust runs out.

From there we move to the border and a bold claim: treat fentanyl trafficking like an invasion. Barry argues that if a boat carried a nuclear device, we’d intercept it without hesitation; fentanyl kills at a mass scale and funds hostile networks, so interdiction should be just as decisive. That stance raises big questions about presidential authority, authorizations for force, and the risk of escalation. Venezuela enters the frame as both a regime under pressure and a linchpin in the illicit economy, with hints that interdiction is working if offers to trade gold for relief are real. Any deal, he warns, must be verified relentlessly or it’s just a pause button for traffickers.

We close with new angles on January 6. Previously hidden intelligence points to expectations of Antifa embedding, alongside revelations that more than 200 FBI agents were present after the breach—facts not disclosed to courts or defense teams even as some agents contributed to prosecutions. That gap raises serious discovery and credibility issues. The core question becomes unavoidable: with so much intelligence, why wasn’t the Capitol secured? Accountability should land on every actor who failed—violent offenders, yes, but also officials who misled Congress or withheld material facts.

If you care about how budgets shape borders, how borders shape overdose deaths, and how transparency shapes trust, this conversation connects the dots. Share with a friend who follows policy closely, and send us your questions—we may feature it on a future show.

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