Stephen Colbert: Don’t applaud Congress for the bare mininmum

After weeks of debate and negotiation, Congress passed a stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. The move extends government funding and avoids an economic disaster …. for now. Stephen Colbert’s monologue warned Americans not to applaud Congress for a measure the Late Show host called “the bare minimum.”

President Joe Biden signed the bill ahead of the September 30 deadline. However, the bill only funds the government through December 3. That means that we could be right back in the same place in a matter of months.

Stephen Colbert has tracked this story since the beginning. Unsurprisingly, he pointed the finger at Republicans for mucking things up. Specifically, Colbert had harsh words for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

And just because Congress avoided a government shutdown, it doesn’t deserve to be rewarded. That was Colbert’s message to the Late Show audience on Thursday night:

Stephen Colbert says Congress continues to do the bare minimum

The Late Show‘s live audience reacted with applause when Stephen Colbert announced the bill avoiding a government shutdown. Instead, Colbert shut down the applause before it could build. According to the comedian, Congress only did the bare minimum by passing the stopgap bill. He compared it to getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for playing the tambourine.

Colbert sounded especially annoyed that the funding only lasts until December 3. He joked that rather than cut the red wire or the green wire, the bomb squad simply hit the snooze button. To make matters worse, Colbert highlights how Congress is no closer to solving the country’s other economic problems including the debt ceiling.

The monologue turns on Democrats Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema. The two oppose President Biden’s Build Back Better bill and could prevent it from passing. Colbert rips Manchin for his opposition to government-funded social programs while Sinema’s attempts to avoid responsibility turn her into a punchline, too.

What did you think of Stephen Colbert’s monologue? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.