The problem is that the right-wing Republican teabaggers in Congress (especially in the House of Representatives) want to make up for their $400 billion tax giveaway to the rich by cutting nearly every program that affects ordinary Americans. But the congressional Democrats (and the president) cannot allow that to happen without abandoning every principal the party says they believe in.
Their have been some ongoing negotiations, but so far the two sides are still very far apart -- about $40 billion apart. The Democrats have come up with about $20 billion in budget cuts, but say that is their limit without affecting necessary programs -- programs that would hurt ordinary Americans if cut. The Republicans are demanding at least $61 billion in cuts (which pales in comparison to their $400 billion giveaway to the rich) and they couldn't care less how it affects ordinary Americans.
The whole thing is approaching the point of absurdity. There is only about five months left in this fiscal year and Congress still has not passed a budget (when in reality they should already be planning and debating next year's budget). Have we reached the point where it is impossible to pass a yearly budget? Are we to be funded for the next couple of years with a series of two or three week continuing resolutions -- with the threat of a government shutdown forever hanging over our heads?
Unless an agreement can be reached by the end of this week, there might be a shutdown this time, and right now it looks like the Congress is not going to make that deadline. The Democrats have cut all they can without abandoning their constituency. It is now up to the Republicans. Do they really want to shutdown the government? They have said they would do it, and they've not shown even an inkling of being willing to compromise.
In poll after poll the American people has said they do not want a government shutdown. They want both parties in Congress to compromise and get a reasonable budget completed. I think that's the only thing that has prevented the shutdown from happening so far. But crunch time is coming fast, and decisions must be made. It's up to the Republicans. If they really want to shutdown the government, they can. They have the power.
Another continuing resolution would just put off the inevitable. The Republicans must make a decision -- either shut down the government or compromise. What will they do? I'm still betting on a shutdown. They've not shown either the ability or the desire to compromise for the good of the country.
Making matters even worse is the fact that we're only about a month away from reaching the current debt ceiling, and these same Republicans have said they will not raise it. There is a good chance that not only will the government be shut down but they'll force the government to default on its debt by refusing to raise the debt ceiling, and the financial reverberations of that will be felt around the world.
But then this is the kind of financial mess that's created when Republicans get in power. Americans have no one to blame but themselves, because they allowed the Republicans to get enough power to do this. Maybe it's true that we get the government we deserve.
Very true indeed. Although, since we're blaming parties in this post, it is the Democrats' fault it's gotten this far. As has been said before, if they had done their job last year and passed a full budget, instead of trying to make the freshmen Republicans pass 1.5 budgets, then we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. That doesn't negate the Republicans' accountability in not passing this bill, but it does balance the argument of: "If A didn't happen, B wouldn't have happened and C didn't need to happen".
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