Post 2: Congress, the president & the budget showdown
The federal government is about to run out of money. If Congress doesn't pass and the president doesn't sign a continuing resolution which gives the federal government money to continue to operate by September 30th there will be a government shutdown.
As you know the House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans and the Senate and the White House are controlled by the Democrats. In order for a continuing resolution to be passed it would need bipartisan support. Some members of the Republican Party are using the tight timeline to push for something they have long wanted - the defeat of the Affordable Care Act (ie. Obamacare).
A lot of political commentators are speculating on the upcoming showdown. You will join your voice in this national debate:
- Do you agree with the strategy of some Republicans to use this showdown as an opportunity to try to defund the Affordable Care Act ?
- If there is a government shutdown who should get the blame - the Republicans or the Democrats and why?
- Do you think a government shutdown is or is not a responsible outcome from this showdown?
Please post your answer with a minimum of 3 sources backing up your argument. See me for help if you are having trouble finding articles you can use. Please cite your research and integrate your citations into your argument.
If you need an introduction to this topic I suggest this article from the Washington Post.
This post is due on Friday, September 27th.
Labels: Congress, deficit, divided government, president
posted by maby-keirstead @ 11:55 AM
48 Comments:
It is exhausting to be an American and watch as the government threatens to shut down every time there is a dispute over the budget. Shutting down the government should be a last resort, not a political move. Republicans want to defund the so-named “Obamacare” act, and they are threatening a government shutdown to do it. Senator Ted Cruz spent 21 hours talking to bring focus to the need to defund “Obamacare (1).” What the government needs is to stop fighting budget battles right before the deadline. Even if this government shut down is averted, in three weeks the battle will begin again as they fight over raising the debt ceiling (1). There are also rumors that Republicans are actually getting ready to compromise, since completely defunding the Affordable Care Act is so out of reach (2). If that is true, it makes the efforts of Senator Ted Cruz seem like a waste of time. There is little time as it is with the deadline to prevent a government shutdown on September 30th (1). The details need to be hammered out and fast or else this great nation will have to endure another embarrassing shut down that halts the already slow government bureaucracies like the DMV. The polls agree with my assertion, the government cannot have another shut down just because the two parties cannot agree (3). If the government does come to another shut down, I will see it as the fault of Republicans who are trying to use it to defund an Act that protects both patients and hospitals from the uninsured.
1. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/25/senate-vote-shutdown-cr-obamacare/2868517/
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/rand-paul-defund-obamacare_n_3990944.html
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/us/politics/poll-shows-disapproval-of-threat-of-government-shutdown.html?_r=0
The subject of the Affordable Care Act has been a point of controversy in the country since the second it was passed. Republicans have unsuccessfully tried to repeal it multiple times. As much as I want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, now is not the time. The attempts to repeal the Act are just a massive publicity stunt. The fact remains that the Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to repeal it. This makes the whole thing pointless. However, there is a looming government shutdown. Both parties are using this government shutdown as a way to increase political power for the mid-terms and presidential election. According to public opinion polls, Republicans are currently being blamed more for the possible shutdown [2]. This manipulation of the American people is disgusting. The Republicans are failing to see how the shutdown would affect them. With no ability to win in the Senate, they would have to do what Obama says if they want any hope in 2016 [1]. Republicans should instead focus on the battles that they can actually win. As to who should get the blame, both parties should get the blame. This looming government shutdown is simply the result of the two parties putting off on the debate until the last second possible. My hope is that the shutdown occurs, simply so that Americans will wake up and realize how screwed up Capitol Hill is. Both parties are attempting to manipulate the public into believing it is the others fault. The sad thing is, some people are believing it. The fight for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act needs to happen, just not now. The facts still remain that for young men, insurance premiums will go up 99% [3]. If Republicans were smart, they would do everything they could to avert the shutdown as they would then look like the heroes, rather than letting it occur and having to submit to the Democrats. If the Democrats were smart they would let the Republicans play this all out and then come in and save it all. Sadly, I believe that neither of them are very smart and that this may not work out well in the end. Either way, this argument to repeal the Affordable Care act has a time and place, but not right before a government shutdown.
[1] http://reason.com/archives/2013/09/25/the-gops-flawed-plan-to-defund-obamacare
[2] http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/23/poll-voters-will-blame-republicans-and-democrats-for-government-shutdown
[3] http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/09/25/double-down-obamacare-will-increase-avg-individual-market-insurance-premiums-by-99-for-men-62-for-women/?partner=yahootix
I disagree with the strategy the Republicans are using to defund the Affordable Care Act. This strategy has very little hopes of working, because if this bill is passed in the House, it will surely fail in the Senate which is currently Democrat controlled (1). This plan is also completely unnecessary, as President Obama has shown that he is open to compromise on the Affordable Care act, as it has already been modified 19 times (1). Also this strategy is counterproductive to the Republicans. If they do filibuster this bill, the government will shut down and the Affordable Care Act will continue to be funded, neither of which they want (2). Therefore, not only are they working against their own interests, but they are also hindering the solution of this very important problem. If a government shutdown is the result of this issue, the Republicans should receive the blame. They deserve this blame because they are refusing to back down from defunding the Affordable Care Act and resorting to drastic measures, such as a filibuster, to get their way. The blame is increased because they know at this point that even if the bill makes it into the Senate, it will be “Dead on arrival” (3). With this knowledge, they should abandon this attempt and focus on other ways to solve this problem. The fact that they have not shows that if the government does shut down, the blame will rest with the Republicans. A government shutdown would not be a responsible solution to this issue. A government shutdown should be something that is done as a last resort, after every attempt to avert it has been tried. Were the government to shut down, it would reflect poorly on the country as a whole, because it would send the message that we are unable to fix our economic issues. The government needs to make a strong compromise on this issue so we can set it aside and turn to the equally serious problem of the debt ceiling.
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/house-gop-defund-obamacare_n_3950345.html
2. http://earlystart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/25/republicans-keeps-on-talking-to-defund-obamacare/?iref=allsearch
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/obamacare-2013_n_3991186.html
I disagree with the Republicans threatening government shutdown as a tactic to defund Obamacare. Not only do they have virtually no chance to get it defunded before a shutdown, a government shutdown will hurt everyone and Obamacare will still be funded, which makes the Republican effort quite pointless.(2) Isn’t the government supposed to work for the greater good? It seems as if some, definitely not all, but some Republicans are trying to look “strong” on this issue for future elections and not thinking of the greater good of Americans, which is disappointing. Though the Democrats should burden a healthy portion of the blame also for not being able to find any compromise at all when they had a significant amount of time to do so, (I mean really, your job is to pass things through congress and you couldn’t find ANY suitable compromise in 40+ tries?)(3) in the case of a government shutdown, the Republicans should carry a slight majority of the blame. Ultimately, it comes down to them. The Democrats are ready and able to avoid the shutdown if the Republicans can bite the bullet and pass Obamacare for now. A shutdown would be a very irresponsible solution to this problem. Many people would lose their jobs, and many government agencies would be frozen.(1) When the government shut down in 1995, it was estimated that it cost taxpayers $1.4 billion.(1) While I’m not the one to say if Obamacare will be a success or failure, I do know possibly costing taxpayers upwards of $1 billion is a negative. Congress should avoid a government shutdown at all costs.
1. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2013/09/20/government-shutdown-101-what-happens-when-the-lights-go-off/
2. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/government-shutdown-stop-obamacare-20378759
3. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/politics/congress-spending-showdown/index.html
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Like most people, I don’t believe that threatening a government shutdown is an appropriate strategy for pushing a party’s agenda. A relatively common problem with party politics, which both parties acknowledge, is the serious lack of compromise. Nearly 50% of Republicans say that “Congressional Republicans are not working with Mr. Obama”, and around 20% of Democrats would agree that Obama is not working with Republicans (1). The Affordable Care Act has already passed, and, whether or not Republicans like that fact, they need to accept it. No one knows for certain if the Affordable Care Act will be a success or just a costly waste, but it certainly won’t bring about the end of the nation. Let it pass or fail through the test of time, don’t shut down the government trying to eliminate it prematurely. If a shutdown does occur the Republicans should and probably will be blamed. Boehner and other Republicans are the people aiming to tie the bill to fund the government and the bill to de-fund the Affordable Care Act together (2). It makes sense that the people making a shutdown possible should be the ones blamed if it takes effect. We can always blame Obama and Democrats if the Affordable Care Act turns out to be a flop. Apart from inconveniencing some, and taking paychecks away from others, a shutdown (as far as I know) wouldn’t achieve any of the Republicans’ goals. The health care act would not be stopped by a shutdown as its funds don’t depend on the congressional budget process (3). A government shutdown would be a less than desirable result of the debate, and if it does take place chances are it will result in nothing more than inconveniences for the public as a whole.
1.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/us/politics/poll-shows-disapproval-of-threat-of-government-shutdown.html?_r=1&
2.http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/18/gop-goes-all-in-on-de-fund-obamacare-as-shutdown-looms/
3.http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/politics/government-shutdown-daily-life/
Allowing our government to shut down for any reason should only be seen as what it is, a complete and total failure of Congress. They hold the purse strings of the entire US government and if they cannot decide how to use them then they have failed the American people at one of their most key responsibilities. To be clear, no I do not support the Republican strategy of shutting down the government to defund the Affordable Care Act. I would not support this strategy for any group and any end result, because the means would not be justified. I also believe that there strategy is doomed to failure to begin with since they will still have less votes once the government shuts down. Do they honestly believe that hurting the US economy will give them a better footing on the other side?
The House's attempts to pass legislation has also been futile since they refuse to pass legislation that will have any chance in the Senate. There last bill being declared "dead on arrival" by senators (1). Ted Cruz's belief that if Republicans fight it out that they will eventually win is also flawed and seems to be only delaying the inevitable. One quote that is definitely true for both war and politics is from Sun Tzu's: The Art of War, "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win" (2). I believe that Ted Cruz's strategy fits in perfectly into the latter half of this quote.
If the government were to shut down, I believe that the blame should be on all of Congress, but I know that it will mostly fall on Republicans, because they have almost been advocating for one. The polls also support that Republicans will be blamed more for the shut down (3).
Works Cited:
1. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57604060/house-anti-obamacare-budget-bill-dead-on-arrival-senators-say/
2. The Art of War by: Sun Tzu
3. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57604632/republicans-may-take-more-blame-for-shutdown-poll-says/
I do not agree with the strategy to use the showdown as an opportunity to defund the Affordable Care Act. Polls report that 44% of Americans would blame Republicans if the government were to temporarily shut down, which would be very harmful to the party’s image and likely turn public opinion against the it, similar to what happened after the government shutdown of ’95-’96 (4, 3). It seems like they are hoping people will admire the strength of their will or loyalty to their principles, but the American public is strongly opposed to the threat of a shutdown and would only focus on that (4). Beyond the public image of the GOP, it makes very little sense to try to use a shutdown to defund the Affordable Care Act because the funding used for health care reform is mandatory funding, so a government shutdown would only slow the act’s implementation at best (1). It seems like the conflict has become more of a show of wills for politicians than anything, which is extremely frustrating. Both parties would have to take some blame for a shutdown because of their inability to reach any sort of compromise, but I think the Republicans would be more at fault. It is obvious that there is not a chance that any kind of bill negatively impacting the Affordable Care Act passed by the House would pass in the Senate, and Obama has made it incredibly clear that he is not willing to compromise on the matter, so it seems silly for the Republicans to fight about it (1). A shutdown would be an incredibly irresponsible outcome of this situation, especially considering the fact that congressional salaries would not be affected while all the other federal employees who are sent home would be without pay (2). Numerous important government functions would cease until the government started back up again once the conflict was solved, so it would be much better to find some way to reach an agreement now rather than simply putting it off again and interrupting the lives of so many Americans (2).
1 http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/how-to-gut-obamacare/
2 http://holt.house.gov/?option=com_content&task=view&id=804
3 http://www.kjonline.com/news/in-focus-election-maneuvering_2013-09-25.html
4 http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57604632/republicans-may-take-more-blame-for-shutdown-poll-says/
I do not believe that this is the time or place to try and defund the Affordable Care Act. The debt ceiling is an extremely important issue at this time in America and Congress should be focusing on just that. Of course politics is based off of deals and compromises, but I believe these arrangements should be strictly related to money matters right now. Congress should be discussing ways to cut back on spending so that we can responsibly raise the debt ceiling, as billions of dollars worth of payments for Medicare and Social Security (among other things) are coming due within the month (4). The Affordable Care Act will still be enacted if the government shuts down, and President Obama will reject any legislation that tries to kill it, so I find this attempt to defund the act just totally irresponsible (1). If the government does shut down over this debt ceiling crisis there can be no real pointing fingers. While some might immediately lay all blame on Republicans, it’s important to realize that most moderate Republicans were against their compatriots’ machinations (1). Also, this debt ceiling crisis has been around since 2011 and it is the unwillingness on both sides to compromise that keeps the debate going (2). Both parties need to step back and once again think of who they represent: not a political party, but the citizens of the United States of America. Because it’s us, the people, who will be affected most by a government shutdown. While the politicians will keep working through a government shut down and be paid when it ends, hundreds of thousands of government workers will be furloughed without pay, millions of Americans will be inconvenienced because of closed government agencies, and the economic downturn that will come from an extended shutdown will be most severely felt by the average citizens (3). Not to mention the fact that shutting down and reopening the government itself costs over one billion dollars (3). Thus, no, I do not believe shutting down the government is a responsible outcome for this crisis. Politicians need to swallow their pride and get to work on viable solutions to America’s economic problems.
(1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/politics/shutdown-showdown/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
(2) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/24/politics/5-things-government-shutdown/index.html
(3) http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/19/news/economy/government-shutdown-what-happens/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
(4) http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/26/news/economy/debt-ceiling-cash-crunch/index.html?iid=Lead
I think it’s ridiculous that the Republican Party is using government shutdown as a wager for defunding the Affordable Care Act. They have pulled similar stunts several times in the past (as Politico says, “‘Not again.’ That’s the message … for Republicans hell bent on waging yet another fiscal fight this fall.” [4]) Each time, these stunts have resulted not only in decreasing approval ratings for the Republican party but also in relative lack of success for whatever the Republicans are trying to achieve through their obstinacy (1-4). The Republicans should (and likely will) receive most of the blame for the government shutdown, should it occur, which would be deeply irresponsible and very unfortunate.
Both sides should share the blame for the shutdown. In fact, both sides should share the blame for the fact that the shutdown is even a possibility. However, by far the greater share of that blame should (and most likely will) be shouldered by the Republicans. The Republican Party continuously and repeatedly relies on urgency stunts such as the fiscal cliff, the debt ceiling, and government shutdown to further legislation (1-4). Not only does this put the nation at an unreasonable risk of economic crisis, but it also means that the resulting legislation (should they succeed to pass any) is unfair: if external coercion is needed to pass a piece of legislation, said legislation should not pass. This situation is especially problematic because, instead of attempting to subversively pass unwanted legislation, the Republican Party is attempting to repeal fairly-passed legislation through the threats of both the looming debt ceiling and the quickly-approaching government shutdown (5). Although the emphasis right now is on the debt ceiling threat because even the Republicans realize how terrible an idea a shutdown would be (5), the aftermath of a shutdown would be much, much worse than even the worst-case scenario of the Affordable Care Act’s passing. The Democrats and Obama will be culpable for the results of the Affordable Care Act, whether bad or good, but the Republicans are at fault for the possible government shutdown (7).
The government shutdown is an incredibly ridiculous bargaining chip in the first place, and it would be an unimaginably irresponsible outcome if it actually came to fruition. This is especially the case because the shutdown has nothing to do with the Republicans’ goals. The Affordable Care Act operates independently of the congressional budget process, so a government shutdown would not affect it in any way whatsoever (6). Not only that, but the Senate will inarguably reject any legislation that the House passes through this coercion, so despite all of this ridiculousness, it is likely that no change will occur anyway. The entire situation is ridiculous and very, very sad.
1. http://www.businessinsider.com/this-one-chart-shows-that-the-fiscal-cliff-fiasco-is-the-republicans-fault-2012-12
2. http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/2012/12/27/poll-americans-find-republicans-at-most-fault-for-fiscal-cliff/
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/26/debt-limit-republicans_n_3997502.html
4. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/debt-ceiling-continuing-resolution-fiscal-armageddon-congress-94785.html
5. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/republicans-obamacare-delay-debt-ceiling-97376.html
6. http://news.yahoo.com/government-shutdown-obamacare-just-rolls-165805400--finance.html
7. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-republicans-explore-strategy-to-avoid-federal-government-shutdown/2013/09/25/80c9d576-2618-11e3-b75d-5b7f66349852_story.html
I do agree with some of the strategies some Republicans use as an opportunity to try to defund the Affordable Care Act. One of them is a new attack at this problem, which is to bring up a different issue. The new issue they want to bring up is a debt limit for the nation. The Republicans think that it will force President Obama to accept a delay on the health care laws for the year (1). This strategy is beneficial for the nation, however, Obamacare is also very important to America.
I think the Republicans would be at fault if there was a government shutdown. The Republicans know very well that the Democrats, the majority in the Senate, would not allow the bill to pass if Obamacare funding is not in the bill (2). The Senate has sent the bill back to the House, and the House has only a few days left to vote on the bill, but it is very like that they will not be able to make a vote that the Senate would pass. The House Republicans are being stubborn, trying to end something that is beneficial. The House Speaker says that “the American People don't want the president’s health care bill” (3). But Obamacare is wanted because a lot of people need it.
I think a government shutdown would be a responsible outcome from this showdown. If there is to be a government shutdown, it would be caused by this showdown because no one party is willing to cooperate. The House wants to pass a budget that would defund Obamacare, but the Senate would not pass it because the Senate favors Obamacare. It is very unlikely that the bill will pass the Senate without Obamacare approved (2). And with the little time left before the end of the month, it is unlikely that the two Houses of Congress would come to an agreement.
1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-republicans-explore-strategy-to-avoid-federal-government-shutdown/2013/09/25/80c9d576-2618-11e3-b75d-5b7f66349852_story.html
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/09/19/a-step-by-step-guide-to-whats-next-in-the-government-shutdown-showdown/
3. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/26/house-republicans-open-two-front-war-on-obamacare/
Peter O’Connor here, come to share my developing opions on this issue. First of all, I’ve taken a look at this spot of roughness, taken a look at the Republicans’ actions, and am just shaking my head. As my understanding carries, a lot of small things will be shut down, such as tourism. Museums, passport services, the Department of Education, many phoned-in services and more will suffer from a shut down, all because the Republicans want to stop Obamacare. That seems kind of irresponsible to me. They are letting a great many features go, and are not paying those essential jobs, if they shut down (washingtonpost). There will be no incentive for the unpaid workers other than dedication to the American government, many groups will lose out on trips to museums, and they are practically breaking chances of getting passports and gun licenses because all the applicable facilities will be shut down. That’s a pretty disrespectful action for trying to stop one item. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, a majority of American citizens feel like a shutdown would be bad news (nytimes). From the responses to the question of the shutdown, many people are saying that the Republicans are not doing anything to find a compromise, even calling the politicians useless when they were supposed to do something. I have to say, I find this applicable. It does feel like the republicans know not the consequences of not compromising, and that’s bad. So, it’s most likely that the republicans will be blamed for a shutdown because they refuse to compromise because they are stuck on Obamacare. They’re being too focused to get us out of this pickle. As for the responsibility of the shutdown, well, I feel like it isn’t responsible. The most divisive issue in this bit by far is Obamacare. It’s four years old, it’s constitutional according to the Supreme Court, and yet the Republicans still bring it up as the great doom of this decade (latimes). They are lingering on an old issue, stuck on it in the compromise, while the minutes are ticking down to a shutdown, affecting more than just governmental services, if the reports have anything to say. It isn’t lazy, per say, but a shutdown cuts off a whole lot of things that help citizens of the United States, and there’s one thing they are catching on. I may be a young man, but I feel that the amount of services that are given by the Government are a greater cost than Obamacare if it shuts down, and those services are needed. A shutdown would be detrimental to many of the finer, smaller things in the U.S. that make life here possible for many people.
Used for comprehention: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/24/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-government-shutdown/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-government-shutdown-looms-americans-brace-for-possible-disruption-disappointment/2013/09/26/0d34a480-254e-11e3-ad0d-b7c8d2a594b9_story.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/us/politics/poll-shows-disapproval-of-threat-of-government-shutdown.html?_r=0
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/sep/17/nation/la-na-budget-outlook-20130918
This budget crisis and impending government shutdown would be laughable if it weren't so tragic. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results This is exactly what Congress is doing- spending too much and not cutting or taxing enough to make a difference (2). This will be the fourth time that we as a nation have stood on the brink of a budget crises since 2010 (1).
I think that Congress is going about solving this problem in the wrong way, starting with the Republican's decision to kill the Affordable Care Act commonly known as Obamacare. There is no way that their bill will be passed in the Senate, so it's only purpose it to cut off the lines of compromise between Democrats and Republicans (1). They should be focusing on other ways to cut spending that both sides can at least work with. Either way, neither party is going to be happy, but that really doesn't matter. They are supposed to have the interests of the people at heart, and shutting down the government because they refuse to compromise is not in the peoples' best interests.
In regard to who should be blamed for this repeating government crises, I say both parties. Politics has become extremely polarized, each party having drawn their lines in the sand. But when you take a step back and look at the lines, they are nowhere near each other. They have effectively removed of any chance of compromising because even their least favorite solution to a problem is nowhere near the other side's least favorite. Both groups need to take responsibility for leading the nation down this road and deal with the problem at hand (2). Republicans need to stop pushing to defund Obamacare and come up with something that could actually be accepted by the Democrats in the Senate, while the Democrats need to come up with their own plan instead of just shooting down the Republican bills (3).
Finally, when it comes to deciding if a government shutdown is a responsible outcome, I say no it's not. The amount of chaos that will be created as a result of a government shutdown will be massive (4). Many big government agencies like the FDA do not have "rainy day funds" to ride out a government shutdown. Tourism will be affected. State and national parks could lose millions of dollars in revenue because of it (4). If a government shutdown would produce an actual solution to our budget issue, this would be a different story. But history has shown us that it won't create a viable solution. Congress will simply raise the debt ceiling again, and come up with another stopgap which will hold us over for another year until we need to do this all over again. Congress needs to get its act together and work to create compromises to solve this issue so we can break the cycle. If we do something different this year, maybe we will have a different outcome next year.
(1) http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130922_Budget_crisis_becoming_D_C_s_new_normal.html
(2) http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/25/whos-to-blame-for-the-sequester-washington/
(3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/26/government-shutdown-2013_n_3995145.html
(4) http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/24/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-government-shutdown/
I disagree with the Republicans with defunding the Affordable Care Act. Since the Republicans control the House, they were able to pass the spending plan (1). However, the Democrats have majority in Senate so it will not be very likely that it will be passed in Senate (1). Defunding the Affordable Care Act is something that the Republicans have been doing unsuccessfully, therefore I do not think that they should use this chance to try to defund it again when they know there is a good possibility of it not passing again. The Republicans’ strategy to address the budget through the risky shutdown is hurting the ability to convince the public that they are interested in pursuing fiscal restraint instead of for partisan purposes (5). If the does government shuts down, the Affordable Care Act will continue to be funded anyways, which the Republicans does not want (3). If the government shutdown occurs, I think that the Republicans should take the blame. Based from a poll from CNN, 51% will blame the Shutdown on the Republicans (4). They should take the blame because they are aware of the risks that they are taking in threatening to shut down the government (1). Their other ideas like not paying the country’s bills or extract spending cuts in exchange for an increase in debt limit brings more crisis to the country (4). The Republicans have been trying to defund the Affordable Care Act since it was passed four years ago (5). I think this is enough time for them to see that trying to defund it will not be a solution to current budget problem and they need to “get over that,” as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had stated (5). Obama even states that the Republicans trying to force a shutdown would be the “height of irresponsibility” (6). Having a government shutdown is not a responsible solution to this issue. The shutdown affects the nation as a whole (2). It would close many federal government offices, programs, parks, and museums to the public (2). Congress needs to try to make a compromise as a government shutdown would greatly affect the public (3).
1.http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/politics/congress-shutdown-showdown/index.html
2.http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/politics/government-shutdown-daily-life/index.html
3.http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/24/politics/obamacare-shutdown-answers/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
4.http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/politics/shutdown-groundhog-day/index.html
5.http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/16/politics/obama-shutdown/index.html
I think that the government shutdown is not what this country needs. The Senate right now is to blame, specifically the Senate Republicans. Ted Cruz had the 21 hour filibuster that proved to do absolutely nothing to help the Republicans stop the Affordable Healthcare bill. Many Republicans who were not pressured by the Tea Party disapproved of Cruz’s aggressive style and said that the name calling only hurts the GOP because most people will blame them for the government shutdown. That will have a cost in the next election cycle. The GOP have stopped all government progress in trying to stop the government shutdown by trying to attach provisions to stop the AHA from passing onto the budget plan. The counter argument by the GOP is that the Democrats will stop the budget plan and create a shutdown to keep the AHA. But there would not be a reason for the Democrats to argue if the GOP did not try to earmark the legislation. The irony is that the Republicans tried to pass a healthcare act similar to this one during the Clinton era. And in a similar situation in 1995-1996, the Republicans created a government shutdown that helped Clinton win reelection. The Republicans are mostly to blame, both sides have gridlocked Washington at some point. But the Republicans, even it is just the ones under the Tea Party, have been trying to stop the AHA from passing and have been not accepting a bill to stop the shutdown without the AHA legislation being dropped.
A government shutdown would not be what this government needs. It would cost the government about 2 billion dollars if the shutdown lasted for a few weeks. The market, which has finally been rising steadily again, would drop once again as people become more cautious. The unemployment rate would increase, especially if the shutdown lasts for several weeks. We have just been recovering from a recession that has been happening for several years, and people don’t want the progress that has been made in the last few years, to disappear in only a few weeks. The debt ceiling is going to need to be decided on in less than a month. And with a government shutdown happening because the two sides had to much partisanship, the debt ceiling debate will be very difficult. Economists are predicting that it would not be a big deal if the shutdown lasted less than a week. The impact would be much greater than the shutdown in 1996 if they occured for the same amount of time. People are tired of the government deadlock and corruption. Right now the Republicans seem to be the ones wanting to create it.
1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/government-shutdown-would-entail-costs/2013/09/26/7ff054d2-26cb-11e3-ad0d-b7c8d2a594b9_story.html
2. http://news.msn.com/us/obama-mocks-gop-for-crazy-obamacare-predictions?ocid=ansnews11&stay=1
3. http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-republicans-plan-b-healthcare-law-20130925,0,585824.story#tugs_story_display
4. http://news.msn.com/us/cruz-ends-talkathon-senate-advances-spending-bill?ocid=ansnews11&stay=1
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I am split on this decision, because I think it is very dumb of the Republican party to use this issue to shut down the government, but I feel that a governmental shut down (as bad and negative as it may be) is necessary. Obamacare is one of the worst possible things right now to our economy and nation, and it is the worst for young people (like us). According to the Urban Institute, many young people could see their premiums double (1). It would force most or all Americans to purchase health insurance and would impose price controls on health insurance that would limit insurers’ ability to offer lower premiums to those receiving care with lower health risks than others (1). In addition to it being as bad as it is, By a 45 percent to 23 percent margin, Americans say it will have a negative impact on the country's health-care system rather than a positive one (2). No wonder it had to be forced by law, nobody would support it otherwise. Putting this aside, the republicans are only hurting themselves more by trying to force a shutdown. Besides in the house of reps, they really have no chance at repealing it. They have tried numerous times, and trying now is going to make them look bad. The Pew survey, conducted Sept. 19-22, shows 39 percent of Americans would hold the GOP responsible for a government shutdown, while 36 percent would fault the Obama administration. Seventeen percent would place the blame on both (3). Majority of Americans are going to blame it on them, so why would they try to force it? If there is a government shutdown, I believe everyone is to blame. It's the democrats fault for creating the health care act and poorly cooperating with republicans. It's the republicans for trying threatening to shut down the government over the issue, and for also poorly cooperating. It doesn't rely on just them though; it is also the people's fault for voting for the people who created it. If they really dislike it is much as the polls say they do, then why are they electing officials who support it? It makes no sense to me. Since the government is doing a poor job of solving problems, and a large chunk of people are unaware to the current issues going on, I think a government shutdown may be good for the nation and serve as a wake-up call to national government and to the people. Hopefully it would affect them in a way where they realize that what happens in their government is important and shouldn't be ignored. While I hope that it does happen, I hope that it will hopefully be short and deliberate, because a government shutdown would no doubt be bad for the economy. Taking all this into consideration, the Government may have to shut down in order for America to wake up.
1)http://www.cato.org/publications/briefing-paper/obamacare-bad-deal-young-adults
2)http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/15/20506193-poll-obamacare-remains-highly-unpopular-as-implementation-looms?lite
3)http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/09/23/225510362/government-shutdown-not-over-obamacare-polls-say
3)
The impending government shutdown is a source of controversy for the United States. This shutdown is an incredibly embarrassing example of our nation’s parties refusing to work together for the benefit of the people. Republicans using the government shut down as a way to defund The Affordable Care Act is a gross misuse of power. As Hillary Clinton commented, Republicans attempting to defund the act would cause “some unnecessary self-inflicted wounds that this country does not deserve. We deserve better from our political leadership,” (1). The bill is already on its way to implementation (1). Threatening the country with a government shutdown to enforce the party’s agenda is detrimental not only to the United States, but also to the Republican Party itself. CNN reports that 51% of Americans would place blame of the shutdown on Republicans (2). I believe that Republicans deserve the majority of blame as they are stubbornly refusing to accept the passing of The Affordable Care Act. Regardless of the success of the Act, attempting to defund it would be unsuccessful and would only make Congress more inefficient (1). Also, the United States’ credibility would be deeply diminished as the Republicans would lead the country to fail in executing basic duties (1). The government shutdown is a completely irresponsible outcome of the disagreement between parties. With an already struggling economy, the shutdown would only cause further economic turmoil. According to Congressional research, the 1995 and 1996 shutdowns cost the country $1.4 billion (3). Not only would the economy suffer, but also the collective psyche of America (3). As a country that serves as a world leader for democracy, it is embarrassing to watch elected lawmakers refuse to work together for the greater good. Especially as average citizens would be affected the most (3). Ultimately, a government shutdown would be an irresponsible use of power that would betray American citizens. While Republicans may bear most of the blame, our country deserves a more efficient, collaborative government whose end goal is to help the American people, regardless of party alliances.
1) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57604478/hillary-clinton-warns-republicans-against-government-shutdown/
2) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57604632/republicans-may-take-more-blame-for-shutdown-poll-says/
3) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/politics/government-shutdown-daily-life/index.html
I disagree with the Republican attempt to use this showdown as an opportunity to defund the Affordable Care Act. The federal government is running out of money, if things do not get solved the government will be shutdown. Trying to defund one of the President’s major programs right before the money problem needs to be solved is not a wise choice. It will just add chaos and further delay the issue. We cannot continue to keep pushing this issue further back, we need to confront it eventually, the sooner the better.
The Republicans seem to doing this mainly for show, because with a Democratic majority in the Senate, the bill will never be passed. Furthermore, polls show that if the government does end up shutting down 39% of the people would hold the Republicans in Congress responsible (4). A great amount people would blame them. So why do they even attempt it? It seems they are just doing it to stick to their beliefs, they are unwilling to compromise. They despise Obamacare so much they are willing to shutdown the government just to prove their point (2).
At the same time, unwillingness to compromise is also a trait that could be used for the Democrats. Part of the problem is that neither side will budge. While a majority would blame the Republicans if a shutdown occurs, the percent of people who would blame the Democrats is not far behind at 36% (4). Both parties will experience the political ramifications of a shutdown (3). Neither one of them has been able to find a solution and work together. To solve the problem they need to cooperate. Neither side has tried to compromise; neither side has made the first step. In this way they should both shoulder the blame because they are both too stubborn and polarized to even try and solve the issue in a way that will satisfy both sides and will be agreed on.
A government shutdown would not be a responsible outcome to this showdown. Past government shutdowns have created chaos and major inconveniences for the public (4). If the government were to shutdown things would be different. Federal loans would be put on hold and agents might be unable to process Social Security checks (2). National parks would be closed. Federal employees would be on temporary unpaid leave. Those who provide services that are needed would work for no pay until the government is up and running again and then be repaid, like the military (1). If you live in Washington DC the trash will be piling up, there won’t be anyone to collect the garbage. Most importantly, it would not be good for the American image. We are one of the largest economies in the world and portray ourselves as a model for democracy. If we cannot keep our own government running, that changes our image (1). Congress should work out some sort of agreement and avoid a government shutdown so as to not hurt America and its people.
(1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/politics/government-shutdown-daily-life/index.html
(2) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/24/politics/shutdown-debt-limit-obamacare-difference/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
(3) http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/23/poll-voters-will-blame-republicans-and-democrats-for-government-shutdown
(4) http://www.cnbc.com/id/101059478
Today, politics seems like a whole lot of work with little end result. So often it feels like we argue over an issue long and hard, just to have another continuing resolution passed. The issue is pushed aside for awhile and we move on to the next one just to have the same result. We no longer live in a society where anyone wins a national election in an overwhelming fashion, an no vote in Congress is a landslide unless it is a time of crisis. Both parties hold their ground and nothing gets passed. This upcoming vote is just the latest example of this. I agree with the Republican’s strategy to to use this showdown as an opportunity to try to defund the Affordable care act for the sole reason that it will prevent a government shutdown. However, I still believe that too many CRs have been passed recently. 92 were passed from 2002 to 2012. (1) That’s an average of 8.4 a year. If there is to be a government shut down, I think both parties should get at least some of the blame. The Affordable Care Act has been controversial since it was passed, but the Republicans would be the reason for the shutdown. A recent poll showed that the majority of voters would blame the Republicans for the shutdown.(2) I don’t believe a shutdown is a responsible outcome for this showdown but I do think it is the right one. Another recent poll said that the majority of Americans believe that it is most important at this point to compromise. (3)
1.) http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42647.pdf
2.) http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/23/poll-voters-will-blame-republicans-and-democrats-for-government-shutdown
3.) http://www.gallup.com/poll/164570/americans-desire-gov-leaders-compromise-increases.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=All%20Gallup%20Headlines%20-%20Politics
Today, politics seems like a whole lot of work with little end result. So often it feels like we argue over an issue long and hard, just to have another continuing resolution passed. The issue is pushed aside for awhile and we move on to the next one just to have the same result. We no longer live in a society where anyone wins a national election in an overwhelming fashion, an no vote in Congress is a landslide unless it is a time of crisis. Both parties hold their ground and nothing gets passed. This upcoming vote is just the latest example of this. I agree with the Republican’s strategy to to use this showdown as an opportunity to try to defund the Affordable care act for the sole reason that it will prevent a government shutdown. However, I still believe that too many CRs have been passed recently. 92 were passed from 2002 to 2012. (1) That’s an average of 8.4 a year. If there is to be a government shut down, I think both parties should get at least some of the blame. The Affordable Care Act has been controversial since it was passed, but the Republicans would be the reason for the shutdown. A recent poll showed that the majority of voters would blame the Republicans for the shutdown.(2) I don’t believe a shutdown is a responsible outcome for this showdown but I do think it is the right one. Another recent poll said that the majority of Americans believe that it is most important at this point to compromise. (3)
1.) http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42647.pdf
2.) http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/23/poll-voters-will-blame-republicans-and-democrats-for-government-shutdown
3.) http://www.gallup.com/poll/164570/americans-desire-gov-leaders-compromise-increases.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=All%20Gallup%20Headlines%20-%20Politics
My opinions on Obama care aside, I cannot say I agree with the Republican Party’s tactics in getting rid of it. If they use the incoming government shutdown as leverage to convince democrats to step down, it will essentially be the same as taking the budget hostage, at a time when there are more pressing issues to be dealt with, such as whether or not the government will shut down. Governmental shutdown means a halt in the bureaucracy, which means that anyone employed in the government unless in critical services, doesn’t have to go to work, or perform their duties. Loans and passports won’t get processed, and national parks will be closed (source 3). Even trash collection in Washington D.C. will be interrupted, because their budget needs congressional approval (Source 1). In essence, a government shut- down will inconvenience millions of people and cost us billions, which should be a good enough reason as to why this isn’t the best time for Republicans to hold the budget hostage. If there is a government shutdown, I strongly believe that blame will be primarily projected towards the Republicans, merely for the fact that they have shown their determination to get rid of the affordable care act, and that they aren’t afraid to shut down the government to do it. In addition, recent polls have shown that 51% would blame the republicans in congress, while only 40% would blame President Obama, and the rest of his ilk (Source 2). Personally, I think the blame would lay with any of the politicians that decided to agree with pushing of the important debates until the very last minute. All this being said, I do not think that a government shutdown would be responsible on the part of the government; they should have never let it get this close in the first place. Unfortunately, our national government is proving to be incredibly irresponsible, it is my hope that the government does shutdown, because maybe it will serve as a slap in the face for all those who think our dysfunctional system is still operating smoothly. So no, government shutdown is not a responsible action, but it may very well be a necessary one.
1. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/politics/government-shutdown-daily-life/
2. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/politics/analysis-shutdown-chances/index.html
3. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/09/what-happens-if-the-government-shuts-down-who-would-be-affected-and-who-wouldnt/
I do not agree with the Republican strategy of using the current budget showdown to try to defund Obamacare. They are attempting to defund it in order to fund the government. The GOP has tried numerous times to get rid of Obamacare, yet time and time again they are not successful in defunding it (2). The main reason why I disagree with their strategy consists of the fact that this time will be no different. They will try to defund Obamacare, and the Senate controlled Democrats will remain unified in protecting it (2). All in all, I'm convinced that their struggle over Obamacare is a complete and utter waste of time. The Treasury Secretary claims that in order for the government to continue paying already accrued bills, the government needs to raise the $16.7 trillion borrowing limit even further (2). Therefore, fighting over Obamacare is a complete waste of time because although it may be a discussion for the future, it won't help anything regarding the matters that currently face us. If I were to point out who was to blame for the looming government shutdown, I would suggest that both parties are equally to blame. As they are both unable to compromise on several issues, the United States government has faced the possibility of shutdown numerous times. Evidently, a Republican controlled House and a Democratic Senate is no doubt a difficult situation to maneuver a compromise from (3). But after a certain point, when a government shutdown is on the line, I find it difficult to understand how they spend all this time deliberating and yet can't seem to come to a compromise that would prevent this from happening. I think that a government shutdown is not a responsible outcome in any way. Not only does it show that the United States government cannot compromise (literally for the life of it), but a shutdown would send home a lot of "nonessential employees" without pay, it would lead to a much nastier battle regarding raising the debt limit sooner or later, and government services would come into question (4).
http://obamacarefacts.com/whatis-obamacare.php
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-government-shutdown-20130926,0,1829394.story
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57604632/republicans-may-take-more-blame-for-shutdown-poll-says/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=225404571
I personally do not agree with the strategy to use the showdown as an opportunity to defund the Affordable Care Act; however I can see both sides. To answer the first question, I think a shutdown of the government is a horrible idea. It honestly accomplishes nothing and I agree with what House speaker, John Boehner, said, "The law's a trainwreck"(1). On the other hand, I think that it’s not wrong for the Republicans to use this situation as leverage to negotiate unruly government spending. To state facts, in the 31 months of Barack Obama’s presidency, according to the Treasury and CBS News, the US has added $4 trillion to its national debt. That approaches the presidential record set by George W. Bush of $4.9 trillion, but there’s a catch to that. Bush set that record in two terms — in 96 months (2). That’s a ridiculously high number under Obamacare and that number will continue to grow if Obamacare isn’t defunded. To answer the second question, I think both Democrats and Republicans should be blamed for the government shutdown, if there is one. In a recent poll, roughly 20 percent of Americans say the parties would be equally responsible if the government was forced to close its doors because of a fiscal showdown while 36 percent of Americans pointed fingers at the Democrats and 39 percent faulting Republicans (3). As you can see, its roughly even. The debt shouldn’t be placed on one party’s shoulders because many presidents throughout the years, both Republican and Democrat, have helped contribute to this humongous debt that America now has to deal with. To answer the third question, I think a government shutdown is an irresponsible outcome to this situation because they waited until the last second to make these decisions. The date is currently September 26 and the government has until September 31 to pass a resolution to give the federal government money to continue to operate. That means they only have 5 days to decide. That’s called extreme procrastination. I think that these high-up government officials need to sort things out as soon as possible before a government shutdown happens.
Sources:
1) http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/18/gop-goes-all-in-on-de-fund-obamacare-as-shutdown-looms/
2) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57604060/house-anti-obamacare-budget-bill-dead-on-arrival-senators-say/
3) http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/23/poll-voters-will-blame-republicans-and-democrats-for-government-shutdown
In my opinion Affordable Care Act has been a burden to the US since the second it was passed. Although I applaud republicans for their efforts to get rid of this shameful piece of American law I do not believe that with a government shutdown dawning on us they should be focusing their attentions on the act at the moment, especially with the fact they have almost a zero chance of passing it through the democratic controlled senate (1).If the government does shut down by the end of his debate I think that the blame should go on both parties because they are both participating in this political stunt to gain more power for election time and for future acts to be passed. A recent poll shows that 20% of the American public agrees that there will be blame on both parties however the poll shows a 39% blame on republicans versus a 36% blame on democrats (2). And if the parties are looking for more support it would be smart for one of them to back out and prevent the shutdown because it would make them look like the good guys who stopped the inevitable from happening and help them to gain more approval(1). It would be completely irresponsible outcome if the government does shutdown. While I think that it was an admirable act by republicans to try and be rid of the Affordable Care Act once and for all I think they should’ve done so in a timelier manner and not right before the budget deadline was due. We elect these officials to keep our country running smoothly without huge disturbances or hold ups (3). Unfortunately if the government shuts down that is something I would considerer as a hold up and huge inconvenience to many Americans, and overall our officials will not have carried out their responsibilities. The two parties need to come to a compromise to avoid the shut down soon before other serious issues start piling up to the point we won’t be able to handle them.
1) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/house-gop-defund-obamacare_n_3950345.html
2) http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/25/senate-vote-shutdown-cr-obamacare/2868517/
3) http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/23/poll-voters-will-blame-republicans-and-democrats-for-government-shutdown
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I do not agree with the strategy the Republicans are using to defund the Affordable Care Act. I do not think threatening a government shutdown is the right way to get rid of Obama care. The senate is mostly democratic so there is no way the senate is going to pass this. The House has tried many times to defund the Affordable Care Act, and each time it is not passed (1). If there is truly a government shutdown, I would blame both parties, but more of the blame would go on the republicans. The House of Reps. knows that the senate is mostly democratic and they also know the defunding of Obama care will not pass in the Senate. This leads to a stalemate in congress (2). There’s no other move to make, The House tries to pass the defunding of the Affordable Care Act, and the senate denies it (2). If the House and Senate can't agree on a government-funding bill by Sept. 30, the federal government will shut down. And, right now, the House and Senate can't agree on a bill (1). I do not think the government shutdown is a responsible outcome. It shows that no matter what kind of situation we are in, republicans and democrats will disagree. Also, history has shown that the government shutdown will not be a viable solution (3).
(1) http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/24/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-government-shutdown/
(2) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/obamacare-2013_n_3991186.html
(3) http://www.cnbc.com/id/101053976
There is a certain sense of disappointment rolling over the American public as our Legislature fails to do its job of maturely deciding what’s best for its people. Our country’s budget issue is a tedious balance and its being exacerbated by the GOP’s push for the repeal of Obamacare. I do not agree with the Republican’s plan to defund Obamacare by letting a government shutdown occur. I find it quite childish that Congress as a whole is unable to cooperate with each other for the betterment of our nation. sixty three percent of respondents to a National Journal poll said that they would prefer the government to provide the necessary money to keep the Government up than to have a shutdown attempting to defund Obamacare (1). Our nation does not support their plan to shut down, yet they refuse to back away from their cause. One thing that particularly irks me is that in the case of a Government shutdown, Congress will still receive pay after the government restarts because they have a guaranteed salary (2). Personally, I believe that if they are unable to look past their differing opinions and find a better solution, they should not receive payment during the shutdown they caused. Maybe they believe that the blame won’t be on them but on the President, yet recent polls have shown more Americans would blame the GOP than Obama (1). I would have to agree with America and say that in the case of a government shutdown i would be blaming the Republicans pushing the repeal. Obamacare has already passed and putting it back on the table and centering it as the possible deciding factor of the shutdown is a really low way of trying to get what you want. While no one in Congress is really innocent in the matter of trying to shoot down the other party’s bills, I’d have to say I believe the Republicans bringing up Obamacare to be more to blame if the budget doesn’t work out and we go into shutdown. A Government shutdown is not a responsible outcome for this debate. Financially wise, the shutdown will not hurt Congress because they will be reimbursed once the government starts up again (2). Also, if the budget issue goes past Oct 1 and we do shut down, Obamacare will still continue to exist (3). Then the GOP’s problem will be that they made a huge fuss and shut down the government while their opposed bill continues on to becoming implemented (3). From where I see it, with the likeliness the repeal won’t happen before the shutdown date and how mad Americans will be at the people who let this happen, I wonder why they are still so adamant as to go through with it. If I was a Senator, I would be very concerned about my ratings after i let a government shutdown happen.
1.http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/09/23/225510362/government-shutdown-not-over-obamacare-polls-say
2.http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/24/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-government-shutdown/
3. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/government-shutdown-stop-obamacare-20378759
With the possibility of a government shutdown looming I think it’s important every citizen become at least reasonably informed and form their own personal opinion. It is such an important, dangerous possibility that no one can ignore it. It affects us all too greatly.
In response to the three questions: No, the republicans should not use this to try defunding healthcare and cause a shutdown, and absolutely it is not a responsible outcome. Not only am I shocked that republicans have been so selfish and irresponsible, but also that they would let things get this far. Allowing a shutdown would be wildly destructive (1), and the budget being debated already cuts thousands of jobs, where, in contrast, ending the current sequester could create 1.6 million jobs (1).
The decision to try using this time to defund healthcare is ridiculous and crazy. It won’t happen. What will happen, however, is a government shutdown (1)(2). Instead of fighting this battle now they should be agreeing to a stopgap measure and hoping to win and repeal (or hopefully not repeal) the Act later(2). However, this putting America on hold and taking jobs and government funding hostage technique? It won’t get them anywhere, and may lead to lowered support for republicans overall in the next elections. Not only that, but those applying for disability benefits or working for the federal government will have to deal with uncertainty and fear for their paychecks – and none of this would stop the Affordable Healthcare Act (2). It would continue to run over the shutdown, while the shutdown itself would annoy everyone else who wanted to read a library book (2). This lack of books and other federally provided public goods would eventually be blamed on the republicans, and, depending on how long the shutdown lasted, ensures a democratic win in the next election. Republicans should at least be considering simply tweaking “Obama Care” to work better – but to try cutting it would be futile, and to actually cut it would be harmful.
Republicans, who would be the true bearers of blame for the shutdown, need to stop trying to attack Obama (3) and definitely need to get over their hopes and dreams of defunding health care. By taking this up at such a crucial point they are now the soul reason, and therefore the only people with responsibility, for the shutdown. Democrats, who won’t insist on a bigger fight, have tried not to become part of the problem (1) but they can only control so much on their own. The republicans are stealing control by taking the government hostage because they can’t have their way (3).
Obviously, for the above stated reasons, a shutdown would be irresponsible. But to put it off just to still take place later would also be irresponsible. If there will be a shutdown over this, let it happen now (2). However, it is still wildly irresponsible to make such a devastating budget proposal.
(1) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/opinion/lasting-damage-from-the-budget-fight.html?ref=federalbudgetus
(2) http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/09/case_for_a_government_shutdown_if_we_don_t_shut_down_now_we_ll_have_a_worse.html
(3) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/politics/congress-spending-showdown/index.html
I do not believe that the Republicans are implementing a good strategy to defund the Affordable Care Act. Even though they believe that Obama Care should be repealed, attaching it to the continuing resolution about the national debt will only end in disaster. The government shutdown is more likely than not to happen, but I don't think it is fair to blame one party for it. You can't blame the Democrats for refusing to repeal one of their biggest victories of the Obama Administration, and you can't blame Republicans for wanting to repeal what they view as one of the biggest failures. That being said, Democrats will blame the GOP, and the GOP will inevitably blame the Democrats for this lack of compromise. The bottom line is that there is too much partisanship and gridlock right now, and it is going to culminate in a shutdown of the federal government. This is obviously an irresponsible outcome of Congress not being able to reach a compromise. A federal shutdown will inconvenience almost every US citizen in some way, and is not something that the American people want. It is time for Congress to get their... stuff together and reach across the aisle. Preferably by Monday.
http://www.ansonrecord.com/news/opinion/2532458/Continuing-Resolution-is-must-pass-piece-of-legislation
http://lgbtweekly.com/2013/09/26/failure-to-pass-continuing-resolution-would-impact-military-and-veterans/
http://www.ibtimes.com/continuing-resolution-2014-americans-want-compromise-other-budget-battles-1409862
First of all, Republicans who are pushing to defend Obamacare do have valid beliefs and potentially defunding Obamacare could save a lot of money. In the somewhat unlikely event that Obamacare does get defunded, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, especially because it really only applies to 7% of Americans and costs so much to provide (1). However, some of the tea party Republicans seem like they are simply taking advantage of the need for serious action to try to get Obamacare defunded. Sen. Cruz filibustered (“fauxlibuster,” as his ridiculously vacuous speech is known as on the twittersphere) for 21 hours, even when he knew most Republicans in the Senate wouldn’t push too hard for the Obamacare defunding (2). Honestly, if Republicans really want to get the CR bill to pass, which most do, they would give up the Obamacare provision. But it seems like Cruz is just doing this to make a statement and get attention, which puts the Republican party in a tough spot for a number of reasons. If the government does end up shutting down, then pretty much everybody would blame the Republican party for its apparent unwillingness to compromise and get things done in time. Additionally, Republicans who are pushing to defund Obamacare by risking government shutdown are acting incredibly counterproductively: nothing will get done, which means Obamacare won’t even be defunded, and if the government shuts down, Obamacare is considered a mandatory government function and the program would begin its course of action, ironically, on the same day of the shutdown (2). So while there are definitely valid reasons so suspend or even defund Obamacare, trying to make that happen now is really not a good idea.
In the event of a government shutdown, I’m pretty sure most people would blame the Republican party. However, there definitely is a substantial third of the American public who would blame Obama for the shutdown (3). Personally, I agree with the 17% minority who say both sides are to blame. After all, if they could work together and compromise then we would be saved a lot of trouble. However, the fact that we’d go so far as a government shutdown is so terrifying and frustrating. It’s definitely not a responsible outcome, and for that reason, I hope Congress can get something together before the deadline and avoid the shutdown. Ironically, while not running government functions might save money, closing them all down and opening them all back up again actually costs a lot of money as well (3), which increases the urgency of the situation and again shows that government shutdown is unlikely. On a bigger scale, the fact that the United States, a nation that other countries see as a leader in democracy, economy, and opportunity, might potentially shut down the government is not only completely demoralizing to Americans, but also really disappointing from the perspective of other countries.
cont'd
I agree with Eli Lehrer, president of the think tank organization R Street, in how Republicans and Congress as a whole should deal with this crisis. Republicans will probably have to agree to raise the debt-ceiling again, but instead of defunding Obamacare, which is unlikely to happen because the Obama administration supports it so much, other options should be explored. Lehrer argues that the most effective course of action here is for Congress to reform Social Security (4). That way, instead of finding new money to fund it (such as increasing taxes), Congress would decrease the amount of money it spends. One big change that Lehrer proposes is for Congress to base the amount individuals get on Social Security on their income or need as a whole. That way a huge amount of Social Security benefits being given to people who really don’t need them is saved (4). As Lehrer contends in his article, the best way to start fixing our fiscal crisis is to begin some serious reforms.
(1) http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/26/obamacare-explained-in-two-minutes/
(2) http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/09/the-double-absurdity-of-ted-cruzs-filibuster/279959/
(3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/26/government-shutdown-2013_n_3995145.html
(4) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eli-lehrer/republicans-government-shutdown_b_3994776.html
No, I do not agree that it is a good idea for a faction to shut down the most powerful government in the world in order to repeal a single act. The Affordable Care Act is only a small portion of what the United States government does, so I consider a forced shutdown an overreaction. It is with blatant disregard to the people who depend on the American government- those employed by the government (1), the Americans (and non-Americans who benefit from it), and the millions around the world who would be affected and may not even know it- that this plan moves forward.
Americans are feeling at this time now than ever that Congress is neither listening to their needs and wants or being practical legislators. Congressional approval is at a historical low (2). Now is not the time for Congress to be fooling around with a government shutdown. Americans are clearly looking for more responsible behavior from its leaders, and our leaders have a responsibility to listen to their constituents. Those looking to shut down the government are most likely not reflecting the desires of their constituents.
There is little Congress could have done to avoid putting the government in a situation where a shutdown is a possibility. No one, Republican or Democrat, should get any blame for that. The only blame can go to those who manipulated the government to meet their ends. The conservatives who purposefully pushed the government towards that extreme instead of helping to avoid it are the ones who should (rightfully) be put under fire.
1. As GOP infighting persists, threat of government shutdown heightens,
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-government-shutdown-20130927,0,1894931.story
2. Congress' Approval Rating Remains Near Historical Lows, http://www.gallup.com/poll/163964/congress-approval-rating-remains-near-historical-lows.aspx
3. Analysis: Why a government shutdown (probably) won't happen, http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/politics/analysis-shutdown-chances/?hpt=hp_t2
This scenario can easily be compared to a three year old throwing a temper tantrum. In case you know nothing about the current federal scenario, Congress is a three year old and debt ceiling v. Obamacare is the tantrum. I do not support the threat of a federal government shut down. I believe that everyone here just needs a good old fashioned lesson on compromise and be reminded that without it, nothing would be accomplished in the world today. Without a little compromise the constitution never would have been written, thus there would still be slaves, women would not be able to vote, and we would all be peasants to the all powerful property possessing male. Yes I am aware that that is a slight hyperbole, but you understand what I mean. The idea that one party is to blame for this political crisis is almost as ridiculous as the fact that my first blog posted deleted itself as I pressed "publish your comment." Both Democrats and Republicans need to think about their job description: to run a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." I understand that the Democrats do not want to give up on one of their biggest successes of the Obama administration, but is it really worth a federal crisis? Let's think about Obamacare. In theory, it is a great idea. It cares for the people in a way that few bills have in the past. However, logically, it spends quite a bit of money that we do not have. Now, onto the debt ceiling threats. In theory, it would help give a quick boost to our drowning economy. In practice, it would be a waste of time, and in the end, Obamacare would still be around doing its health care agenda. The threat of a governmental shut down is, in my opinion, slightly immature and close minded. It shuts down every other possible fiscal option, so the word "responsible" does not come to my mind. I think of it more as "irresponsible" or "annoying," kind of like my unreliable internet. I truly believe that if the government focused on the actual needs of the people, they could come up with a productive and logical solution to this current political scenario.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/rand-paul-defund-obamacare_n_3990944.html
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/politics/congress-spending-showdown/index.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/this-one-chart-shows-that-the-fiscal-cliff-fiasco-is-the-republicans-fault-2012-12
I do not agree with the Republicans’ strategy to try to defund Obamacare. When the budget is in crisis, the issue should be resolved, not taken advantage of by a political move. And that is if you could call the budget crisis an “advantage”. Because the Republicans do not have a majority in the Senate, and Obama will veto any attempt to defund Obamacare, the motive of the move is unclear. The president and the Democrats will be strengthened due to the alienation of independents currently siding with the Republicans (1). If/when the government shuts down, there will be everyone to blame. According to recent polls, there is only a 3 percentage point difference in the blame for Republicans and the blame for Democrats (3). I believe that both parties are responsible. Both sides have been unwilling to compromise, so budgets have not passed in the past. Because of the lack of compromise, both sides are to blame. A shutdown is not a responsible way to deal with this partisan standoff. However, if the shutdown proceeds, it will open the eyes of the public to how uncompromising our government really is. If the shutdown happens, the scope of it will be much greater than the previous government shutdowns because no appropriations have been made law. Workers’ paychecks will go unsigned, and government programs unfunded (2). It is simply irresponsible for the partisan disputes of our legislature to interfere with the salaries of countless Americans.
1 http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/government-shutdown-the-blame-game-and-diminishing-returns.html/?a=viewall
2 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324492604579082851832871952.html?mod=trending_now_3
3 http://www.people-press.org/2013/09/23/blame-for-both-sides-as-possible-government-shutdown-approaches/
I believe in the case of a government shutdown the republican party should bear the brunt of the blame.
They're playing with fire now deciding to be rebellious with a government shutdown looming they couldn't have picked a worse time to begin to act out against their democratic counterparts. In an article By the Washington post it claims that even though the deadline is near Speaker of the House John A. Boehner didn't even try to compromise with the house democrats. Though this bill would strike down Obama healthcare law it would keep the gov up and running the problem is it's sure to meet staunch resistance from the democrats which means nothing is going to get done.(1) According to a pole on Gallup.com 44% say the healthcare act will make the situation worse while 39% say it will get better with such a close split how can they clearly make decision on whats best for the American people.(2) According to the Los Angles Times even though the republicans are primarily locked in battle with the democrats infighting between them has caused all bills involving the budget to be struck down not just by democrats but by staunch republicans.(3) This kind of infighting will continue and will be the direct cause of the Government shutdown.
3. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-government-shutdown-20130927,0,1894931.story
1. http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-18/politics/42167331_1_house-gop-house-speaker-john-a-boehner
2. http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-18/politics/42167331_1_house-gop-house-speaker-john-a-boehner
Due to Congress’ inability to, well... work, another government shutdown is looming over the heads of the American people. It is no surprise that in a divided Congress a solution does not come easily. Using the shutdown as a means to encourage the defunding of Obamacare, however, is a result of pure stupidity. I think Congress has forgotten one key component of their job in the government: the fact that they one. Their job, in its most basic form is assure that the country continues to operate. Allowing the government to run out of money is a failure of their jobs (3). This showdown that the Republicans have created over the funding of the Affordable Care Act accomplishes nothing except to slow down an already dreadful process (1). The time for arguing over universal health care is not now. However, the Republicans are not the only ones to blame. There are two major political parties in Congress, and it is the job of both to act in the best interest of the public (2). If a government shutdown were to happen neither party would come out unharmed. America has quite a knack for blaming people and Congress is like a two for one special. In the end, a government shutdown is one of the most irresponsible things Congress can allow. Both sides seem to be using the shutdown as leverage, but I for one don’t view thousands of government jobs on the line as something to be played with (2). It’s ironic really: the Republicans spend all their energy arguing that Obamacare is unconstitutional, but isn’t it also unconstitutional for Congress not to take care of the government and its people?
1. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/09/government-shutdown-clock-ticks-down-while-dems-press-for-clean-spending-measure/
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/09/26/how-the-government-shutdown-showdown-is-a-game-of-ping-pong/
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/26/chris-christie-government-shutdown_n_3999442.html?utm_hp_ref=politics#slide=2044519
As the government threatens yet again to shut down, I wonder what our legislators are doing wrong. We are a country that is almost 250 years old, and we have had only one major shutdown in history (1). Now, it seems as if the threat of a government shutdown is constantly looming in our day to day lives. The republicans choice to use this vulnerable time to try to defund Obamacare is justified in my opinion. The government has their backs against the wall right now and by adding more debt to the economy, they will only make matters worse. A budget needs to be passed before we can function as a national government again. I believe that if there is a government shutdown, the democrats are to blame. They have stuck together through the whole budget crisis, which has caused a gridlock. Until they are willing to step over the aisle, nothing can get done. The republicans have offered numerous non-partisan plans that have been immediately shut down by the senate (2). I think that a government shutdown is an extremely unresponsible answer to the problems we have facing us. By shutting down the government, many public works are put on hold and the problems that our nation faces get no closer to being solved (3).
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/debt/governmentshutdown.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-republicans-explore-strategy-to-avoid-federal-government-shutdown/2013/09/25/80c9d576-2618-11e3-b75d-5b7f66349852_story.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-republicans-explore-strategy-to-avoid-federal-government-shutdown/2013/09/25/80c9d576-2618-11e3-b75d-5b7f66349852_story.html
The strategy of the Republicans to use this "showdown" as an opportunity to try and stop Obamacare is-frankly-ludicrous. The basic fact of the matter is that even if there is a government shutdown, Obamacare and the healthcare markets for the uninsured will still go on (1). Most of the main parts of the health care laws in place are funded by appropriations that would not be affect or need to be renewed by Congress (1). Trying to stop the Affordable Care Act will do little to try and stop Obamacare and its proceedings. This act is just a poorly planned last-ditch effort to try and "win" something for their party, which is a major problem for both sides. No matter my political views, I recognize the fact that bipartisanship and compromise needs to happen, especially when such a critical bill that could shut down the government only had 3 representatives cross over party lines (2).
As stated, both parties need to compromise on issues, but the blame for this possible government shutdown should mostly lay in the hands of the Republicans. The Republican controlled House pushed through the stopgap bill, that included everything but the major bill for the Democrats, the ACA (2). It was their representative in the Senate, Ted Cruz, who started the filibuster to -in theory- try and stop the ACA from getting into the stopgap, but which turned out to be less of a filibuster as much as rant about the government not listening to the people (3). Though even with loyalties, Republicans like John McCain are even reprimanding Cruz for his terrible folly in the Senate, but no one knows if this is only to save face and to prevent losing yet another election because of a government shutdown (4).
Overall, this government showdown can be compared to children fighting with their parents and getting angry when their parents still won’t let them do what they want. A government shutdown is terrible outcome of this situation and should be avoided, and can be done by the representatives acting like adults, and caring more about the American people and less about party lines.
1.http://www.seattlepi.com/news/texas/article/In-government-shutdown-Obamacare-just-rolls-on-4847347.php
2.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/21/us/politics/house-spending-bill.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
3.http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/24/ted-cruzs-filibuster-is-an-excellent-argument-against-ted-cruzs-filibuster/
4.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/25/ted-cruz-speech-fault-lines-republicans
The subject of the Affordable Healthcare Act has been a delicate one since the very thought of it. Shortly after it was passed, many Republicans have been trying to repeal it in attempts to thwart Obama and give his presidency a bad image. The threat of a government shutdown over this issue is not worth it for any party. This tactic to ruin “Obamacare” is immature and unnecessary and gives the government as a whole a bad image. This is not the time for a move such as this. Both sides are intent on not compromising in anyway. (1) The Republicans seek to not only a one-year delay on fully funding the healthcare act but also want to pass measures for their own interests that have been turned down in Congress before. The Democrats are intent on avoiding the shutdown and raising the debt ceiling. This gives no clear path for the government to solve their problems without hurting the nation. At the same time they are hurting their own party, further keeping progress from happening. (2) Polls also show that the American people are very much against the government shutting down which would hurt the politicians’ position, the exact opposite of what they want, more support for defunding the healthcare act. Eight in ten Americans are against this Republican position. (3) The largest problem with the government shutdown would be the effect on the American people. Government programs such as WIC which provides food for 8.9 million low-income American women and children would be out of money for who knows how long. If there is a government shutdown, the blame would land mostly on those insisting on this political move, the Republicans. A shutdown would not be in anyway a responsible outcome of this Congressional debate.
(1) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-government-shutdown-20130927,0,2822735.story
(2) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/us/politics/poll-shows-disapproval-of-threat-of-government-shutdown.html?_r=1&
(3) http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-government-shutdown-looms-americans-brace-for-possible-disruption-disappointment/2013/09/26/0d34a480-254e-11e3-ad0d-b7c8d2a594b9_story.html
I think that this plan is a poor idea because the Republicans do not control Congress so this leads me to believe that the bill would be turned down in that area. Another thing is that the Republicans have tried to have this repealed many more times than just this one, but it is unnecessary since President Obama has already said that he is willing to compromise. This attempt to take away the Act is futile and very unlikely to happen. This is not the only time that the government will come to a standstill and it certainly will not be the last. I think that the government has to give a little more in some areas between the parties so that there isn’t this consistent lack of cooperation and achievement. I personally don’t want to have to wait for a complete takeover by one party. This would help get things done more efficiently but there is almost no chance of this happening, so there must be a little give and take between the parties. I think that it is both the democratic and the republican parties fault. I think this because almost nothing gets done in the government due to the different goals that each party has. I do not think that the government shutting down is a good way to handle the crisis. I mostly say this because it would cost far too much money that we don’t have. It was stated that the price for a governmental shutdown in 1981 was 8.2 million dollars. This is a substantial amount of money but think of how much it would cost nowadays, an insane amount and what would it accomplish. I don’t the answer or what could happen but I believe that the government shutdown would not be a good way to handle this specific situation.
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/27/20723289-why-a-government-shutdown-could-be-a-pricey-proposition?lite
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/us/politics/poll-shows-disapproval-of-threat-of-government-shutdown.html?_r=0
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/government-shutdown-would-entail-costs/2013/09/26/7ff054d2-26cb-11e3-ad0d-b7c8d2a594b9_story.html
While doing research on The Affordable Care Act and the continuing resolution, I have come to the conclusion that Congress is acting like a bunch of Elementary school kids. I don’t think that the Republicans are using the right strategy to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act, simply because their strategy will not work (1). You would think that a group of individuals who were, for the most part, at the top of their class at some of the most prestigious universities in the United States would understand this concept and would work a little bit harder on that whole compromising concept we all learned in kindergarten. Oh, but no, each party is sticking firm to their beliefs. They are holding firm enough to send the government into another shutdown, yes that’s right, another. Some experts say that the government won’t go into a shutdown, and here’s why: The Republicans don’t want to look bad. They understand that the majority of U.S citizens would assign blame to their party if the government shuts down and they don’t want to deal with that negative attention (2). Another contributing factor is that politics is a game, if you know the right people and make the right moves, you win in politics. The republicans don’t want to make the wrong move. However, other political analysts believe the government will be heading into another shutdown, simply because no one is willing to compromise (3). However, that is not 100% on the Republicans, the problems occurring in Washington fall on every single politician who is too concerned with their own personal wish list for what the country needs to worry about the big picture.
(1) http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/09/26/how-the-government-shutdown-showdown-is-a-game-of-ping-pong/
(2) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/politics/analysis-shutdown-chances/index.html?iref=allsearch
(3) http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/29/20743313-chances-of-averting-government-shutdown-appear-slim?lite
Kelvin said:
The issue with health care has been a hotly debated issue going back to when President Obama was campaigning for the presidency. Many Democrats what Congress to pass "Obamacare" while the Republicans have been doing everything they can to disrupt the passage of this bill. However, the bigger picture is that the national government will shut down if Congress doesn't give the federal government money. This would hinder many government programs and effect many people, which is why I disbelieve the strategy that the Republicans have taken. Republicans are trying to filibuster the vote and in response, Harry Reid said, "The government is set to shut down in a matter of hours" which expresses the limited time that Congress has left (1). Based on a poll for the Pew Research Center, 39% of people surveyed said that the Republicans should be blamed if the national government shuts down while 36% of the people say the Democrats should be blamed and 17% said that both parties would have equal blame (2). I believe that the Republicans would deserve the blame in this case because they are trying to strong arm the Democrats into cutting out Obamacare while in doing so, if the government shuts down, they will look like the bad guys and national parks and museums will shut down, causing many people to loose their paychecks. All of this debate is over the single issue of the Affordable Care Act and is hindering Congress's ability to set the federal budget. Such behavior by these politicians are silly and childlike and the shutdown of the national government because of this is irresponsible and will cost the nation millions, if not billions, of dollars. The last shutdown happened during the Clinton administration and it lasted a total of 28 days and cost the nation more than $1 billion (3). These politicians on Capital Hill need to get their act together and see the big picture instead of getting into a game where they test each others patience over a single issue which can be debated over at a more appropriate time.
(1) http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/324555-senate-votes-to-advance-stopgap-measure-defunding-obamacare
(2) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57604246/both-parties-to-blame-if-government-shuts-down-poll-says/
(3) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/politics/congress-spending-showdown/index.html
Much of the issue with Obama Care today is that many republicans feel it to intrusive for the average American. Republicans think it shouldn't be the responsibility of the American government to take care of the nations health care.While many democrats feel that they need to do this to help better the American people. Much of the issue with who is responsible are both parties because they are at each others throat. With each party not even moving an inch. They seem to point fingers at each other yet no one side is doing anything to make it better(2). Right now the white house is trying saying that the White House and the congressional republicans are getting more social and are talking more(1). Which seems like a good news to getting closer to getting to a deal. Which could get us to raise the debt ceiling before the default on october 17. Which would help from the cutting programs that many people need. Right now many people say that the Republicans are at fault because of the way they are handling the shutdown since many people see this shutdown as the republicans trying to get their way by nasty methods(3). I believe that this shutdown was a matter of time with how much of the GOP trying to stop Obamacare since many didn't like it to begin with this showdown would probably lead them to this point either way.
(1)http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/07/politics/shutdown-showdown/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews
(2)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/07/government-shutdown-congress_n_4057530.html?utm_hp_ref=obamacare
(3)http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/07/government-shutdown-blame-republicans-polls/2938787/
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I strongly feel that the select group of Republicans who shutdown the federal government should be held responsible for their naive and childish decision to fight political warfare at the expense of the American people. While the system of “checks and balances” allows for dissension, the entire country’s wellbeing has been hijacked by a group of extremists. If a group of Democrats took such radical action against a policy that they disagree with, such as gun control, the country would also be justifiably upset (1). Shutting down the federal government is reckless. Not only are hundreds of thousands of people laid off from their jobs, but puts the United States into a situation where we will default on our sovereign debt and risk another global economic crash if the issue isn’t dealt with swiftly. This certain group of house republicans refuse to accept the fact that they lost the presidential election, the democratic process that passed the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court ruling stating that it was Constitutional; the political process was followed to the letter (2). In a speech at a Ford plant in Kansas City, President Obama said, “They're focused on politics, they're focused on trying to mess with me. They're not focused on you." (3) It’s time for these radical Republicans to grow up, realize what is in the best interest of their constituents, and pass a funding bill that will make it through the United States Senate.
(1)http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2013/10/01/government_shutdown_tea_party_republicans_are_to_blame.html
(2) http://www.politicususa.com/2013/10/06/republicans-america-global-laughingstock-government-shutdown.html
(3) http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/20/house-republicans-government-shutdown-obamacare
There have been many failed attempts made by the Republicans when it comes to defunding the Affordable Care Act and I find it really funny that they are continuing to push at it. Instead of trying to attack the Affordable Care Act the Republicans need to try to find a way for for sides to win. Clearly trying to defund the Act is only hurting the Republican party along with millions of taxpayers. 1) It was stated in one of the articles that I read that is 1995 there was a 5 day shutdown in November and a 21 day shutdown in December. These two shutdowns costs taxpayers 1.5 billion dollars along with the loss of funds, the shutdown left many taxpayer and government workers confused. I do not know about you but I certainly do not want to pay money to the government because they can not make up their minds. This is not a one time thing either. It is a constant battle between the Republicans and the Democrats and frankly I do not think it is a good way to spend their time. It makes me ashamed to be an American when disputes like this cause the loss of jobs of government workers and the loss of money of many hard workers who do can not afford to pay extra taxes because of the mistakes the government has made.2) Also, in an article on the Huffington Post that I read called, “House GOP Plan To Defund Obamacare Still A ‘Dumb Idea’: Senate Republicans.” It talks about how Sen. Richard Burr told the Huffington Post that he thinks demanding President Obama’s health care law be defunded in order to avoid a government shutdown is a “dumb idea.” This was said back in July. He then goes on to say “I said it was the dumbest idea I’d ever heard of, I still think it’s a dumb idea because you can’t defund Obamacare.” I completely agree with Senator Burr. This is a complete waste of time. Instead of focusing on the issues that really matter right now, the Republicans are too busy battling a battle that they have lost numerous times. Also, the fact that the Republican demanded that it be defunded to avoid a shutdown is complete B.S. What is even more funny is the fact that the Republicans may take more blame if the government shuts down. Which I completely agree with. 3) In an article on CBS news it stated that when the government shutdown on November 1995, 51 percent of Americans blamed the Republicans in congress while only 28 percent blamed President Bill Clinton. Also in a recent study it stated that if the government shut down, 44 percent of Americans would blame the Republicans while less than 35 percent would put blame on President Barack Obama. I myself would be one of the 44 percent of Americans who blame the Republicans. They are acting like children. I do not think I can stress this enough. Instead of focusing on the Affordable Care Act so much the Republicans should turn their focus on an issue that really matters.
1)http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2013/09/20/government-shutdown-101-what-happens-when-the-lights-go-off/
2) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/house-gop-defund-obamacare_n_3950345.html
3) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-may-take-more-blame-for-shutdown-poll-says/
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