The spending bill that was so weighed down with pork that it would have qualified for a buffet was a 1,547-page monstrosity that should have never been a candidate for consideration in the first place. The amount of unrelated projects that came with it were an unfunny joke that too many in Congress, including Speaker Mike Johnson, were dead set to tell. 

Why did we need to include land allowances for the Washington Commanders? 

But then something fantastic happened, or rather, someone fantastic happened. 

You. 

As my friend and colleague Joe Cunningham reported, Johnson was forced to scrap the bill after Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and the people of X stepped in and demanded Republicans resist this ridiculous spending bill. With so much pressure coming at them, the bill was scrapped and the people won. The government is headed toward a very likely shut down, but this isn't the loss the politicians tell us it is. 

In fact, this sent a very clear message: The people are paying attention, and you will remember that you're our servants, not our bosses. This is a message that couldn't come at a better time, with Trump's impending habitation of the White House. Trump released a statement that truly highlighted just how ridiculous this bill was: 

Meanwhile, Congress is considering a spending bill that would give sweetheart provisions for government censors and for Liz Cheney. The bill would make it easier to hide the records of the corrupt January 6 committee—which accomplished nothing for the American people and hid security failures that happened that day. This bill would also give Congress a pay increase while many Americans are struggling this Christmas.

Johnson now has a task he has to accomplish. He has to come up with a CR bill that Republicans will vote on. As Bonchie noted in his article, that's all he has to do. His job isn't to keep the government open, or give the Democrats something they don't like. His job is to present something fit for voting on by the Republicans and allow the Democrats to throw temper tantrums, refuse to sign the bill, and own the shut-down. 

And here's where the new age part of this come sin. 

The Republican Party will be forced to do this because the American people have never been more connected to the people they send to Washington. I want to emphasize that something huge happened last night. The Republican Party didn't win. It was dragged to victory. It was Elon Musk or Donald Trump that got the win. It was the people who put the pressure on until the Republicans finally did what they were supposed to do. 

Musk's purchase of X paved the way for more than just free speech. He paved the way for free speech to those in power. It's incredibly difficult to now get elected, then prance off to Washington and be autonomous. The people are watching and more importantly, talking to you directly. You can't ignore them, and if you do, you do so at the peril of your own career. 

As Trump said, those who don't do as the people command will face primary challenges. 

Moreover, thanks to X, people are far more likely to understand what is happening thanks to explanations and simplifications from their peers. Washington is a very confusing place, and a lot of what happens there can be intellectually intimidating. Not anymore. Not only are we talking to politicians, we're talking to each other, teaching one another, and developing goals with one another. 

The people have never been so close to Washington as they are now, and that's going to make being a corrupt politician all the more difficult. 

The collapse of the spending bill wasn't just a victory for the people, it was a turning of the page and proof that we've entered a new era. Representatives don't just go off with trust that they'll do the right thing. We're now watching over their shoulder, telling them what to do directly. This won't set in for many politicians just yet, but the message will soon be gotten once enough career politicians find themselves without a job. 

Welcome to the new D.C.