Post 3: Respond to a classmate
Last week you were asked, "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?" At that point the government shut down was theoretical but now it's actually happening - and for who knows how long.
Pick a classmate in either period 5 or 6 to respond to. Explain what you agree or disagree with about their post. Remember we shouldn't need to reread their post to understand your post.
Additionally, either make a guess as to how long the shut down will last or explain how the shut down has affected you or someone you know.
Please use at least one news source from this week in your post.
You have until Saturday, October 7th to post. I look forward to reading what you have to say.
posted by maby-keirstead @ 1:58 PM
48 Comments:
I agree with Carolyn J. It is quite clear to me that putting the blame on only one party is childish and partisan. Both parties believe they are doing what is right however neither one is willing to compromise. That is why I believe it will come down to whichever can keep public opinion in their favor the longest. The Republicans are currently losing that battle with 69% agreeing that Republican leaders are acting like 'spoiled children' [1]. Both parties are the real loser with only a 10% approval rating for Congress [1]. The government shutdown is also in no way a responsible course of action. It needlessly puts people without pay and tanks the economy. The leaders in Washington are supposed to be there to compromise and keep the country ticking, not shutting it down. However, I do not believe the shutdown is as big a deal as some are making it. The federal employees will most likely be receiving back pay and they can even apply for unemployment (but the government is shutdown so good luck) [2]. I believe that the shutdown will last only a few days. I can not see either side allowing this to last much longer. The political downfall outweighs ANY political gain that these politicians could receive. They will be forced to come to the table and compromise or risk being voted out of office, especially in vulnerable seats. The shutdown has affected me in a large way. I am applying to two military academies and the ability to ask questions or get an update from the admissions teams has been revoked. This is incredibly important to me as the applications are time sensitive. Therefore, I would like to see this shutdown be fixed as soon as possible.
[1] http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/01/politics/government-shutdown/index.html
[2] http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2013/10/house-lawmakers-push-back-pay-furloughed-feds/71128/?oref=dropdown
Spencer you were 1st this time!
In response to Alyssa L.’s post, I couldn’t agree more. Frankly, it is exhausting to be an American and watch as the government repeatedly threatens to shut down every time there is a dispute over the budget. I think you summed it up perfectly when you stated that “shutting down the government should be a last resort, not a political move.” I find it extremely frustrating when the U.S. government decides that a government shut down is the wisest plan of action, because House Republicans and Senate Democrats are unable to pass a government spending bill, simply because they continuously argue over the Affordable Care Act. The health care law isn’t even directly tied to funding the government; it’s simply being used as a bargaining chip, which I find even more annoying (1). I also agreed with your statement that the federal government should not leave the budget battles alone until right before deadline, because we all know that it takes a considerable amount of time for the government to come to an agreement regarding any issue, especially about the budget. I feel like the fact that our government uses shut down as a method of ‘fixing’ problems is completely ridiculous, and to be honest, I feel embarrassed to be living under a government that can not even come to a compromise about an issue so important to all Americans. I just don’t see how anyone could think that a government shutdown is a wise choice for the U.S. More than 800,000 government employees will lose their jobs, the total economic impact is expected to be extremely severe, and government funded programs will be shut down as well (1). I don’t think that the government will be shut down for more than a month, seeing as no previous shut down has lasted longer than that. Basically, I don’t see this shut down as any different from the others; it’s just an embarrassing result of uncompromising American politicians.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/index.html
I completely agree with Ruby's view that the strategy of the Republicans to defund the Affordable Care Act is not a good idea. I also agree that it does not entirely make sense to blame only one party, so it is unfortunate that polls show that more Americans blame Republicans than anyone for the shutdown when it is the result of two parties being unwilling to reach any kind of compromise. Poll results published on the morning of October 1st show that 55% of people polled blame the GOP for the current gridlock (1). It would be more strategic for one party to offer a reasonable, if only temporary, compromise and look like heroes to the public rather than to attempt to show the strength of their will, which just looks stubborn and irresponsible. It is ridiculous that the Republicans keep pushing legislation and proposals that they must know will never be supported by President Obama or the Senate, but it is also very frustrating that the Democrats absolutely refuse to negotiate on the subject. As Ruby said, "partisanship and gridlock" are in the way of progress right now. I am not sure exactly how long the shutdown will last, but I'm guessing at least a week. A meeting between President Obama and congressional leaders that people hoped would lead to a solution was unproductive and seemed to only further irritate members of each party (2). President Obama is scheduled to go on a trip to Asia on Saturday but has apparently been preparing to cancel, indicating that the White House is not confident that an agreement will be reached by next week (1). Hopefully they work something out by October 17 or the government will default, which would potentially be devastating to the world's economy (1). The shutdown hasn't affected me directly, but I know that a number of companies, including the one that I work for, are incredibly frustrated because processing documents offering proof of citizenship and other kinds of paperwork necessary to hire new employees is one function of the federal government that has stopped because of the shutdown. This means that a number of businesses and corporations are unable to hire anyone, which is bad for business and especially unfortunate for unemployed people in need of work. It is only one small example of the far-reaching effects of the shutdown, but it just goes to show that it can impact average Americans as well as the 800,000 federal workers who were sent home this week (2).
1 http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/how-long-will-the-shutdown-last-the-note/
2 http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/10/government-shutdown-2013-after-fruitless-meeting-shutdown-heads-into-third-day-94816.html
I completely agree with Patrick B: the Republicans made a very insensible move. Their attempt was doomed to failure to begin with, given the fact that the Affordable Care Act will still go into effect after the shutdown is over (1). While really both sides deserve blame for the shutdown, Republicans tend to be seen as the instigators, which will probably cause a moderate backlash (2). Furthermore, there are now thousands of government workers struggling economically and numerous government programs on hiatus (3). There are even some sad stories of cancer patients unable to receive the life-saving treatments from government-sponsored clinical trials, veterans unable to go in for surgery, and other terrible consequences of the shutdown that nobody foresaw (3). Personally, I don’t believe that partisan pride and stubbornness is worth the ruination of people’s lives or livelihoods. However, I think this shut down will be over within two weeks. The debt ceiling needs to be raised before October 17, or else America will default on its obligations (1). While Congress was partisan enough to allow the government to shut down, I absolutely refuse to believe it will allow us to default on our obligations as that would actually have huge economic ramifications. If politicians don’t restart the government in time to raise the debt ceiling, I think I personally along with millions of other Americans will officially have lost all faith in the government as being representative of the people. Personally, I know my brother’s old Boy Scout troop has spent the last six months planning and organizing a big trip to the Badlands that was scheduled for this weekend. They now obviously have had to cancel.
1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/politics/government-shutdown-main/index.html?hpt=po_c2
2) http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/politics/government-shutdown/index.html
3) http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/politics/government-shutdown-impact/index.html
I am responding to, and agreeing with Collin's post. While we both agree that Obamacare is a complete disaster, using the threat of a shutdown was not the answer to our problems. Like Collin was trying to emphasize, the shutdown comes with consequences. The current shut down causes us approximately $12.5 million an hour, $300 million a day, and $1.6 billion a week. (2) With our current unemployment, high unemployment and soaring debt, we are just shooting ourselves in the foot with this one. In addition to these mainly economic consequences, there will be many additional negative effects as well, similar to a few Collin mentioned. Some food-safety operations will cease, millions of veterans could possibly lose benifits, flu program will be halted just before flu season, national parks will shut down, and the tourist market will take a huge hit (3). These affects will be detrimental if allowed to continue for a long period of time. Collin and I predicted and showed that the blame would fall on the Republicans, and it did just that. In a recent poll, 44 percent of Americans blame them, while 35 percent put more blame on President Obama and the Democrats in Congress (1). I also agree with Collin in his statement that he doesn't approve of a shutdown, but he hopes it will happen. I think it will force both sides to negotiate and agree on issues, or face the consequences. While the Republicans may be more to blame, they have started to be more negotiable with restoring the Government. It is now Obama and congressional democrats who are slamming the door on negotiations (4). Taking all this into consideration, the Government would be irresponsible not to negotiate to get themselves running again.
(1)http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57605822/poll-americans-not-happy-about-shutdown-more-blame-gop/
(2)http://www.nbcnews.com/business/money-nothing-government-shutdown-costs-12-5-million-hour-8C11308802
(3)http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/01/the-nine-most-painful-consequences-of-a-government-shutdown/
(4)http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/10/01/boehner-shutdown-obama-compromise-column/2903505/
I agree with Spencer B in that the attempt to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act was a massive publicity stunt that had no chance of success. I also believe both parties share some blame for putting off the discussion until the last possible moment, however I believe it is not as evenly split between both parties as Spencer does. I believe the majority of the blame lies with the Republicans as they decided to force the government to shut down rather than submit on one issue. This is not the democrats fault as they were ready to compromise but the Republicans refused to even allow a compromise talk to happen, as was seen by Ted Cruz’s 21 hour filibuster (1). I also disagree with Spencer in that I think the shutdown will not be good, even if it will wake people up. The costs of a shutdown, including millions of federal workers being out of work and the loss of billions of dollars due to the shut down of federal programs, will not be exceeded by the benefits of people realizing this is a serious situation (2). I think this because people already know this situation is serious, which is why they are so frustrated with Congress. I also refuse to accept that Congress doesn’t realize this situation is serious, and I hope that the only debate that still exists is how to solve the problem. Hopefully, now that the shutdown is in progress and already damaging our economy, Republicans in Congress will finally swallow their pride and start to make some reasonable compromises and not tear down anything that doesn’t totally agree with their interests. Unfortunately, I believe the shutdown will not end in the near future. As of yesterday, Republicans were more interested in defunding Obama care than ending the shutdown (3). Even if they were to magically come to their senses overnight, which is very unlikely, they would still need to draft an acceptable plan to end the shutdown, which would still take a significant amount of time. I don’t think the end is in sight for the shutdown, so we’d better brace ourselves for a long ride.
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-25/opinions/42390222_1_ted-cruz-cruz-s-obamacare
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/29/20745618-a-government-shutdown-what-could-it-look-like?lite
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/government-shutdown-begins-senate-expected-to-reject-latest-house-proposal/2013/10/01/ef464556-2a88-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
I would like to agree wholeheartedly with Kathy's post. Republicans did have their reasons for tacking the Affordable Care Act provisions onto the continuing resolution, but that action was somewhat irrational and has obviously had very sudden and apparent consequences. The government is partially shutdown, and the GOP did not achieve their goal or derailing Obamacare. One of Kathy's points, which I agree is probably the most important on this issue, is that the Affordable Care Act receives mandatory funding, and is therefore not effected by a government shutdown (1). That being the case, the GOP are the ones facing the most scrutiny for the shutdown, followed by Obama, though we both agree that it is due to the gridlock and party agenda's of Congress. I think the shutdown will last somewhere in the ballpark of 1-2 weeks. I think it will take at least that long to have Congress come to some sort of agreement and pass a piece of legislation that will get the government up and running again. It would probably take longer, if not for the pressure to get government employees back to work. However long it is, I, along with the rest of America, just hope it's soon.
(1)http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/30/government-shutdownwonthaltaffordablecareact.html
I fully agree with Spencer B’s post. The time to discuss the future of the Affordable Care Act is not now and using the government shutdown is not a good strategy for Democrats or Republicans. Unfortunately, it seems that Congress did not understand this and they allowed the government shutdown to occur and Republicans are being blamed more for it, a recent cbs poll giving them 44% of the blame, although most of their base is sticking with them and believing their message that they were not at fault, 35% of the blame going to Democrats and the president (1). This has put yet another polarizing issue into the American public.
I also agree with Spencer on how this shutdown will be a wake up call to Americans on how our legislative process seems to be broken. I believe we may see a dramatic shift of attention of the public back onto the actions of Congress, who will see the full scrutiny now that they have failed the public one too many times.
Another troubling information has come out from this incident that I found in the CBS poll. Apparently about 75% wanted both Democrats and Republicans to compromise on this issue to avoid a government shutdown. Additionally, 2/3 of both parties were willing to compromise and only about 1/3 of both were unwilling. So why didn’t it happen? It may have been because the Republicans fear a certain sect of their party, aka the Tea Party. CBS found that 57% of Tea Party members supported the government shutdown strategy both before and after the shutdown. I believe that the compromise did not happen because the Republicans feared of losing their seats to Tea Party candidates in the upcoming mid-term election if they compromised with Democrats.
Work Cited:
1.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57605822/poll-americans-not-happy-about-shutdown-more-blame-gop/
In response to Josh Pratt Thatchers post, I agree that a government shutdown should be seen as a faliure by the congress. A government shutdown should always be considered a last resort and the congress is currently using it as a viable option. Government shutdowns have always been considered bad if you look throughout history (1). The struggle between the house of representatives and the senate has caused a total stand still in the congress which will not help anyone in the country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/government-shutdown-impersonators_n_4032737.html
In the first blog post, I wrote that I disagreed with the strategies Republicans use to defund Obamacare. However, now that I read Geenie’s post, my views of their filibustering and other means of defunding Obamacare are somewhat mixed. I agree with Geenie in acknowledging that defunding Obamacare as an addition to raising the debt ceiling can encourage compromise, but I don’t think it does so in a way that is really going to help our current situation. Because of this, I have to maintain my position that I still disagree with Republicans’ strategy to defund Obamacare. Additionally, I agree with what Geenie said about the Republicans being at fault for the government shutdown. Geenie raised a good point when she said that the Republicans know that while they do hold the majority in the House, there are more Democrats in the Senate than Republicans, and thus defunding Obamacare will not pass in the Senate.
I think the government shutdown will last from 1 to 4 weeks. The last government shutdown in 1995 lasted for 21 days, which is the longest period that the government has been not in action (1). However, it’s likely that this shutdown will last for a longer period of time because there are many differences between this year’s shutdown and the 1995 shutdown. In a CNN article, journalist Dan Merica observes that some striking differences between the political atmosphere in 1995 and the atmosphere today may force the government to stay shut down for a longer period of time. For example, in 1995, President Clinton and then-Speaker Newt Gingrich were more willing to compromise, whereas now, Obama and the Republican Speaker of the House seem to not want to compromise (1). Another important difference is the fact that the economy today is significantly worse than the economy in 1995; in 1995 America actually had a really strong economy, which Merica says is because of the innovations made in Silicon Valley that sparked global economic boom. Today our economy is noticeably worse. Because of these changes in America’s political atmosphere between the last government shutdown and today, I think this year’s shutdown will last longer than that of 1995.
Also, one specific effect of the government shutting down is the closure of certain museums (2). I have cousins who were planning on visiting the Smithsonians this week because they live in the east, but now that the government’s closed, they can’t. And just because this relates to me, I volunteer at the Science Museum of Minnesota every other Sunday and I was worried that because of the shutdown I wouldn’t be going this week, but the Science Museum is not tied to the national government so it’s okay.
(1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/01/politics/different-government-shutdowns/
(2) http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-government-shutdown-q-and-a-20130930,0,5564531.story
I agree with Micala B’s view that the shutdown is an irresponsible maneuver and that the House Republicans are responsible for the shutdown. I would however disagree with the idea that the Democrats are devoid of blame in regards to the shutdown. Partially because of the partisanship of Congress, compromise has been virtually non-existent on the part of both parties (1). While it is the fault of the Republicans in the House, I do not believe Democrats worked enough to find a compromise and so share a fraction of the blame. I would also have to currently disagree with Micala B’s prediction that the shutdown would seriously effects us all because I personally have noticed no difference in my life, or the lives of anyone else, as a result of the shutdown. This could of course change dramatically as the shutdown goes on, but for now I have yet to see the shutdown as a major problem. No one is certain how long the shutdown will last. Looking at the last shutdown which lasted 27 days (when both parties were more compromising) one can guess that this could last a month or more (1).
1.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57605784/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-end-the-government-shutdown/
I agree with Rilyn E. She mentions that trying to defund the Affordable Care Act will never work. This turned out to be true, ultimately nothing happened and in the end the government shutdown. The showdown did nothing to persuade the Democrats and Obama to compromise. Also, she cites that most Americans will blame the Republicans if the shutdown occurred. This number holds steady at 44% of Americans blaming the Republicans for the shut down and only 35% blaming Obama and the Democrats in Congress (1). Clearly the American public was not pleased with how things went down in Congress. She also mentions this in her post saying that it would be better to find some way to compromise. 77% of the American population agree and think that Congress just needs to compromise on the budget; this is a large majority of the people(1). Another point she brings up is that Congress still gets payed while all other federal employees do not. Congress is essentially responsible for the shutdown, so why are they getting their salary if they are not doing their job. This gives them very little incentive to get moving on the budget until their next deadline because they are still making money. In the meantime other federal employees who did nothing to incur the government shutdown get nothing.
As for how long this shutdown will last, the end does not seem to be near. So far the Democrats have refused to any negotiations. They want to show that they will not be held hostage by the Republicans. However, the debt ceiling is approaching soon on October 17 (2). I believe this impasse will remain until this next deadline and then this shutdown may finally be over. This shutdown has personally affected me and my family because we cannot reserve our vacation at Yosemite National Park because it is closed.
(1) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57605822/poll-americans-not-happy-about-shutdown-more-blame-gop/
(2) http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-cancels-asia-trip-as-shutdown-debate-shifts-from-health-care-law-to-debt-ceiling/2013/10/04/8225784c-2cf5-11e3-8ade-a1f23cda135e_story.html
I’m going to have to agree with Spencer on his argument. There are many unsatisfactory elements to the Affordable Health care Act, but when trying to repeal it has such a huge negative effect on Americans it is not the time for it. By the government shutting down, roughly 80,000 americans are furloughed during the shutdown (1). Its good that Congress realizes the repercussions of their actions, shown by their proposed legislation to pay said employees, but this still all could’ve been avoided (1). Like Spencer said, I don’t think the Republican party realized the effects until after it was too late and if they did I think that is even more selfish. Now they have the entire country annoyed with them because they felt the need to argue and filibuster. Other thing I find alarming is that now the parties are using terms like “winning” in reference to the debates (2). I really don’t think you can say you’re winning when you managed to partially shut down a National government. Now both sides will have to do a lot to save face with the American public. The government shutdown was not a responsible outcome, but now America is more aware of the situation in our government and more likely to act about it. Seeing how mad the nation is, I think Congress is going to try and wrap this up as fast as they can so they can start saving face. However, seeing as both sides want to appear victorious, I foresee this lasting for at least another week, if not longer.
1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/house-and-senate-bills-would-pay-federal-workers-for-shutdown-furloughs/2013/10/03/d2fc8096-2c58-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html
2. http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/04/20820333-obama-no-negotiations-with-a-gun-held-to-the-head-of-the-american-people?lite
This comment has been removed by the author.
In response to Ellen B, I agree that Congress needs to go back to their roots, making the government about the people, not maintaining their political ideologies. I also agreed with her comparison of the congressional showdown as a temper tantrum thrown by a three year old. Both parties know what affect the shutdown is having on the nation, and both are concerned with the political fallout that will come from it. However, this does not seem to be much of an incentive to work things out and get the government going again. As Ellen talked about in her post, Congress refuses to compromise. Both parties are so sure of what they want that they are unwilling to give a little to create a solution for the government. As for how long I think the government shutdown will last, I think it will go until mid-October when they will be forced to come together to raise the debt ceiling (1). Until then, it is a battle of who can out-wait the other. Both groups are convinced the other is in the wrong, and are going to continue to blame each other, waiting for the other side to give in to their demands (2).
(1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/politics/government-shutdown/index.html
(2) http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/04/politics/government-shutdown-main/index.html
I strongly disagree with Gennie; a federal government shutdown is never an acceptable way for either party to push their political agenda. Hundreds of thousands of “nonessential” government have been thrust into a dangerous situation after being furloughed and denied their paychecks. However, Congress will be paid whether the government is shutdown or not. While the group of radical house Republicans likes to cite the Constitution while they ramble on about how the Affordable Care Act will be the worst decision since the Vietnam War, they don’t really have a case. The bill was passed through the legislative branch, signed by the executive branch, and ruled Constitutional by the judicial branch. This shutdown has been called a “game of chicken” between the two parties; but it is rather a group of extremist Republicans swerving into the legislative process’s lane and causing a head on collision…hurt American citizens in the process. When the Democrats voted down the last minute funding bill, which didn’t include funding for the Affordable Care Act, they were made to look uncooperative. However, the Republicans in the House have no right to pull funding from a program which has followed the legislative process simply because they don’t agree with it. They need to realize that they lost this battle and focus on other policies. In addition, the Republicans continue to introduce funding bills for things like “veterans programs”, forcing the Democrats to go on record as voting against things that they obviously support. This is a dirty political tactic that should have no place in our government, and that goes for either party. At the end of the day, I think that they overwhelming public pressure will eventually sway enough votes to end the shutdown and allow Washington to get back to business. Seventeen government shutdowns in our government’s history is clear evidence that we have some work to do on compromising and making the political process work for the good of the average American. It will also be interesting to see how this impacts the polls at the next election.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-34222_162-57563805-10391739/republicans-contemplating-government-shutdown-over-debt-fight/
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/09/30/cnn-poll-republicans-will-get-more-blame-than-democrats-in-a-shutdown-you-know/
This comment has been removed by the author.
I agree with Alyssa L’s post. It really is exhausting to see the government threatening to shut down every time there is a dispute over the budget. Both the Republican and Democratic party have refused to compromise on the budget issue and the Affordable Healthcare Act. Their dispute over the issue has brought a shutdown of the government. I agree with Alyssa that government shutdown should not be used as a political move. Using the government shutdown as a political move makes our government look dysfunctional (1). I also agree that the Republicans should take the blame of government shutdown. The Republicans have been trying to get the health care reform to go their way for years, but the Democrats refuse to make the changes they want (1). The Affordable Healthcare Act is not even directly tied to funding the government (2). Which makes the government shut down a ridiculous move for the Republicans to try to get their way on health care reform (1). It just shows that they are only using the shutdown for their own political moves rather than to bring any benefit to the country. As Alyssa had said, there is no reason for there to be a government shut down just because the two parties are not able to agree with one another. The government shutdown has brought negative impacts to many people’s lives. It prevents people from obtaining federal loans to buy a house, go to museums or parks, prevents people from getting a passport, and more (2). I think that the government shutdown will last for a few more weeks, but no more than that. I think that it will last for a few more weeks because past government shutdowns did not last more than about a month, but hopefully it will end soon.
1. http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/04/opinion/rothkopf-shutdown-depression/index.html?hpt=po_c2
2.http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
This comment has been removed by the author.
In response to Alyssa L.:
I agree that the way that the way the government threatens to shut down every time there is a dispute over an issue is annoying. It shows how inefficient and slow the federal government is when they cannot come to a compromise. However, it also shows how efficient the American governmental system is even without a functioning federal government. It proves that the citizens are the real "boss," that the government work for the people; the government serves the people. Because even with the government shut down, most everyday life tasks and routines are unchanged for most people (1). Infact, privately funded enterprises are still functioning normally, and the stock market prices are going up (2).
However, the government shut down has affected me in a very minor way. Recently I attended the Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Engineering and Computing Conference, there we were supposed to have a speaker who works in the computing field for the government. However, due to the government shut down, she was unable to travel to Minnesota because during government shutdowns, government employees are prohibited to spend money (3). Thus, she cannot purchase an airplane ticket, so we did not get to hear her speech.
1. http://www.weibo.com/3180541260/Ac8C28oAq
2. http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/01/bedford-11-reasons-to-love-the-government-shutdown/
3. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/09/the-odd-story-of-the-law-that-dictates-how-government-shutdowns-work/280047/
I agree with Collin M. that it is the wrong tactic for the Republicans to shut down the government in order to defund the Affordable Care Act. Many essential services (such as garbage collection in Washington D.C., as Collin pointed out) and people who rely on those services will be adversely affected. However, I disagree with Collin that the shutdown is a good “slap in the face for those who think our dysfunctional system is still operating smoothly.” First, it is not good to assume that the majority of Americans are not in the know as to the state of the federal government. In fact, the majority of Americans do not find the federal government to be in great shape. A recent poll (published Tuesday) by CNN shows that 87% of Americans disapprove of the job federal lawmakers are doing (1). This means that 87% of Americans need no slap in the face. Second of all, it is cruel to use the government shutdown as a wake up call to citizens by toying with their livelihoods. This is an extreme way to teach people a lesson. In this case, the people are innocent and did not provoke the government or desire any of the actions Congress is taking.
I think the government shutdown will last around two weeks. After that length, politicians will no longer want to jeopardize their careers by angering citizens any more.
Someone I know that is affected by the shutdown is my friend’s dad. He designs roads (I believe?) for reservations and is a government employee. He cannot go to work because of the shutdown.
1. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/cnn-poll-congress-approval/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
I agree with Collin M. that it is the wrong tactic for the Republicans to shut down the government in order to defund the Affordable Care Act. Many essential services (such as garbage collection in Washington D.C., as Collin pointed out) and people who rely on those services will be adversely affected. However, I disagree with Collin that the shutdown is a good “slap in the face for those who think our dysfunctional system is still operating smoothly.” First, it is not good to assume that the majority of Americans are not in the know as to the state of the federal government. In fact, the majority of Americans do not find the federal government to be in great shape. A recent poll (published Tuesday) by CNN shows that 87% of Americans disapprove of the job federal lawmakers are doing (1). This means that 87% of Americans need no slap in the face. Second of all, it is cruel to use the government shutdown as a wake up call to citizens by toying with their livelihoods. This is an extreme way to teach people a lesson. In this case, the people are innocent and did not provoke the government or desire any of the actions Congress is taking.
I think the government shutdown will last around two weeks. After that length, politicians will no longer want to jeopardize their careers by angering citizens any more.
Someone I know that is affected by the shutdown is my friend’s dad. He designs roads (I believe?) for reservations and is a government employee. He cannot go to work because of the shutdown.
1. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/cnn-poll-congress-approval/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
I am replying to, and agreeing with Ruby’s post. One statement that Ruby made was, “Democrats will blame the GOP, and the GOP will inevitably blame the Democrats for this lack of compromise.” Since we have been talking about polling in class recently, let’s look at what the polls have to say about whom the American people feel is to blame. In a recent article conducted by CNN pollsters, 46% of Americans say they would blame congressional Republicans for a government shutdown. 36% saying the president would be more responsible and 13% pointing fingers at both the GOP in Congress and Obama. A similar poll by CBS/New York Times puts the numbers at 44% for blaming congressional Republicans and 35% blaming the president (1). It’s interesting to see what the American people think about the shutdown, ahem excuse me, what 803 adults nationwide who were questioned by telephone believe about the shutdown. Oh, and the sampling error is 3.5 percentage points.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/cnn-poll-shutdown-blame/index.html?iref=allsearch
I personally agree with Spencer’s argument. I couldn’t agree more when he said that “The attempts to repeal the Act are just a massive publicity stunt”. I feel like professional, high-up officials in the government would have come to a kind of consensus to stop the government shut down from happening and before things got out of hand, but they showed America that each party’s stubbornness got in the way. The Republicans are currently losing the battle of public opinion in their favor with 69% agreeing that Republican leaders are acting like 'spoiled children (1). But in my opinion, both parties are the losers for making the government shut down and are not cooperating together to have a solution. On a another point to help answer the question on how long the shutdown will last, President Obama is scheduled to go on a trip to Asia on Saturday but has apparently been preparing to cancel, indicating that the White House is not confident that an agreement will be reached by next week (2). This makes me think if they will ever come to an agreement. Unlike Spencer’s response, however, I do not think this shut down will only last a couple days. I think it will last more into a couple weeks. The Republicans and Democrats couldn’t come to an agreement before, what makes you think that they will come to an agreement now? As much as I would like to see this shut down be fixed as soon as possible, I’m afraid us Americans will have to wait on a solution a little longer.
1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/01/politics/government-shutdown/index.html
2) http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/how-long-will-the-shutdown-last-the-note/
Emily M. points again and again to the idea that Republicans will be blamed for this shutdown. I fear though that they will not. In 1996, Republicans were the cause of the shutdown, and while many people were unhappy with the shutdown and with Republicans, there was only a minor hit to the Republicans’ overall standing (1). It is for this reason that I worry that Republicans will get away with this political maneuver. I agree wholeheartedly that shutting down the government is an unacceptable lapse in government control, but I fear that the Republican party will not be blamed for it instead Congress in general. While both sides of Congress are partially at fault for this shutdown, I think the blame rests more with the Republicans who are trying to use it as a political maneuver. I suspect that this shutdown won’t last for more than a month or two, but it will seriously injure the view of the public on the effectiveness of Congress. When people do not believe in their government, they do not vote in elections. This allows for representatives to be chosen by the more politically active and extreme left or right voters. When that happens it means more gridlock and more shutdowns. While the government shutdown does not affect me personally all that much, other than the idea that flu shots may not be tailored to my region as well as they could be, I do hear of the atrocities that are happening because of the shutdown (2). The more programs that are stopped and people that are furloughed, the more voters who do not vote and the worse things get. I fear the long-term problems that this shutdown may be causing.
1. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/24/republicans-government-shutdown-obama
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/01/the-nine-most-painful-consequences-of-a-government-shutdown/
In response to Sam G’s post, I strongly agree with his argument. As Sam points out, the Republicans’ continuing resolution would have had no effect on the funding of The Affordable Care Act. The Republicans’ refusal to accept the Act as a law even after it has passed through the legislative process is counterproductive and stubborn. Extremist Republicans are only acting to increase their own power while ignoring the needs of the American people. Sam also demonstrates how the Republicans deserve blame as “even if the bill makes it into Senate, it will be ‘Dead on Arrival’,” because the Senate has a democratic majority. I agree with Sam’s opinion that government shutdowns should be a last resort rather than a political strategy. This viewpoint is reflected in a CBS Poll that found that 72 percent of Americans disagree with a government shutdown over differences on the Affordable Care Act (1). Even among Americans who don’t support The Affordable Care Act, 59 percent disagree with the shutdown (1). The shutdown has affected many Americans and it is still unclear how long it may continue. While the last government shutdown lasted 27 days, today the conditions are different, we have a much more partisan environment in Washington and neither the Democrats nor the Republicans seem willing to compromise anytime soon (2). However, as Rachel Smolkin pointed out in a CBS interview, the Debt Default brings a “time pressure” to the reopening of the government (2). I believe the shutdown will last around a month with these conditions. Hopefully, the government will find a way to compromise sooner than later and provide a beneficial outcome for the American people.
1) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57605822/poll-americans-not-happy-about-shutdown-more-blame-gop/
2) http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50156505n
In response to Luke’s post - exactly! The first important thing Luke mentions is the fact that both parties should be blamed for the shutdown. Republicans seem to be blaming Harry Reid and Democrats John Boehner, however Congress has more than two members. 535 members actually, made up of both Republicans and Democrats who have equally descended to a third grade maturity level and first grade intelligence level. Remember: “sharing is caring.” If they can’t share the budget then they should certainly share the blame. Another vital thing Luke mentioned was the polling data that has apparently not made its way to the desk of the Republican party yet. It’s wonderful that the Republicans think they are doing the right thing, but the American people don’t seem to agree (1). Almost every poll favors blame on the Republican party over the Democratic party. So while Republicans are thinking this shutdown will earn them the support they need for 2016 midterm elections, its pretty much just political suicide (1). First term Republican in the House this year? I wouldn’t get too attached to your seat if I were you. The toughest election an incumbent faces is their first race, and this shutdown will only make it for more difficult for those members of Congress. Luke mentioned an interesting that the Republicans are using: attack and hope the support follows. Just because some members Congress are part of the Tea Party doesn’t mean their battles will go exactly as the Revolutionary War. In the hostile environment that Washington D.C. is today, a party needs support, and a good amount of it, in order to play the blame game or shut down the government; support the Republican party doesn’t have (1).
abcnews.go.com/Politics/shutdowns-best-worst-political-stunts/story?id=20474996
This is in response to Alyssa's comment last week. She talked about how exhausting it is to be an American and having to deal with all the bickering that goes on in Congress and that the fault of the then possible now real shutdown is that is the Republicans who are disagreeing with the Democrats way late in the game. I fully agree with these points, along with the problem that had the shutdown not happened Congress still would have needed to talk about raising the debt ceiling. That is one of the problems with the shutdown, that this reality will cause huge challenges throughout the US (1).
We have all heard the bad news about people losing their jobs and pay in for time being because of the shutdown. As I see it, this shutdown will continue on as between the President and Congress, or even the two houses of Congress there has been no compromise (2). This continue lack of progress will lead to huge setbacks, like funding for private military companies, the military itself, lack proper help for those filing tax returns and even another financial crisis if the shutdown is still a thing by the 17th of this month (1). But again, while I do think the shutdown will be resolved, I have very little hope that it will happen in the next fortnight, which is when it needs to prevent chaos.
1. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/05/20805735-how-the-ripple-effects-of-the-government-shutdown-might-spread-day-by-day?lite
2.http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/02/shutdown-day-two/2907817/
I agree with Sam G in that the Republican Party are definitely more at fault for the government shutdown. They were trying to use the spending plan to blackmail the Democrat Party into delaying the Affordable Healthcare Act another several years. The Republican Party has failed to pass any legislation against the Affordable Healthcare Act after trying to stop it 42 times. While Obama has been open to compromise on the act, the Republicans have been in an “all or nothing” mode of destroying the AHA. But you cannot blame all of the Republicans for this mess. Some of the less vocal majority of the party have been dennouncing the actions by the other members of their party. GOP Rep.Dennis Ross said that it is the the pride of the Tea Party members that is getting in the way of any decision being made. They have lost the battle and will come out of this as the losing party if the more extreme members don’t swallow their pride (1). Obama is blaming speaker of the house John Boehner. He has been pressured by the party to keep fighting the Affordable Healthcare Act until it is repealed, otherwise he may lose his position as speaker. Obama states that with 800,000 workers furloughed, all the speaker needs to do is not be an obstuctionist and let the representatives vote to reopen the government (2). A very vocal minority in the population has caused the Affordable Healthcare Act to be a much bigger issue and be a lot more controversial than it really should be, with every other western government having government-run healthcare. The addition of the Tea Party had made the Republicans initial gains in controlling the house, and the moderates may feel the need to repay them by supporting the repeal, especially when 57% of americans opppose Obamacare, and a much higher percentage of their own parties constituents oppose it (3). The government shutdown should be a last resort, and not a political tool to pass a law. The Republican Party need to recognize that the Tea Party does not represent a majority of voters in ideology and just pass a spending bill so the government can run again. Or they will lose big time in the 2014 elections. I predict that the government will be shutdown until the beginning of November because it will take a month to sort this out.
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/05/dennis-ross-government-shutdown_n_4050231.html
2. http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/05/politics/obama-interview/index.html
3. http://www.examiner.com/article/obamacare-debate-sparks-fresh-look-at-obama-s-re-election-1
I can’t say I agree with Tim Larson’s agreement with the Republican’s strategy of fillibustering Obamacare out. It seems contradictory of his earlier statements that we get jack squat done these days. Actually, I’m not quite sure what Tim is saying. He says that the shutdown is not responsible, but it is the right choice. While the shutdown may not be responsible, as it feels like petty squabbling, I can’t say it’s really the right choice, either. The shutdown shoves many enriching programs out into the cold, and it does no favors for the reputation of the Republicans. They know they are ill-received for this, and they’re trying, note the trying, to push the blame onto the Democrats by calling them the dawdlers (latimes). It is a negative impact on the party in general that the ill-researched public will use in the next set of elections. That’s not even mentioning all the programs that are shut down that are still going to the government. They made themselves a mess here that is going to be more trouble than it’s worth. As for the length of the shutdown? Well, I’m no educated man, but I’m guessing anywhere from a week to two weeks. They need to iron out all the little things they caused, and then they’ll try to shut down the shutdown as fast as they can. If either party can successfully pull this off, they will gain favor in the public eye, as well as start up all the programs again. It’s more advantageous to get the shutdown stopped sooner, rather than later, and the parties should recognize that.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-government-shutdown-republican-impact-20131005,0,2461004.story
I am responding to and agreeing with Solveig’s post. I agree that the shutdown is the result of Congress failing to do its job, which is finding the best way to run the country without running it into the ground. The GOP’s push for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act is childish and this is definitely not the way to show their disapproval of an act that has already been passed and declared constitutional. Cooperation is a key part of a Congressperson’s job and both sides seem to have a hard time agreeing on anything if it means giving into the wishes of another party. While most of the federal workforce is going without pay and the people going without much needed help from the government, Congress is still receiving pay through the shutdown. Due to the 27th Amendment, Congress cannot change its pay and this includes freezing or cutting compensation. (1) Several members of Congress are donating their pay they receive during the shutdown to charities such as Rep. John Fleming and Rep. Pete Gallego. “Obviously we need to share the pain of the American people,” said Fleming on the subject. I agree with Solveig on her saying that the blame does fall primarily on the Republicans pushing the repeal and a government shutdown is not a responsible outcome of a budget debate. Rep. Rick Nolan has even introduced a bill blocking Congressional pay during a government shutdown called the “No Government - No Pay” Act. This bill however will most likely be struck down due to the 27th Amednment. I feel that the shutdown will continue for several weeks before Congress comes to an agreement over the budget. The shutdown has affected millions of people already and programs such as WIC are running out of money and will soon leave people who need it very much without the essential food they depend upon.
(1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/shutdown-congress-staff-paid/index.html
(2)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/rick-nolan-congressional-pay_n_4029595.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
I am responding to, and completely agree with Spencer. Like he said I agree the Affordable Care Act has been a burden and should be repealed however Republicans should not have tried to pass it with the lurking issue of a government shutdown. Like Spencer said “it’s a massive public stunt”. However this stunt had a huge and negative effect on Americans. 800,000 federal workers are out of the job without a paycheck for however long the shut down lasts (1). The shutdown was also highly negative toward the economy because it slowed the flow of money. Even worse we are now looking at the fact the government is quickly approaching the debt ceiling (2). On October 17 when we are no longer to borrow money there will be bills that won’t be able to be paid and this could trigger a worldwide economic disturbance (2). Spencer’s second point is that the republicans do have a slightly larger burden to bear if the government does shut down. They didn’t realize that the effects on what they were trying to do were negative toward them and America and they are just now beginning to see this. Both sides should have blame being they weren’t able to compromise but overall it should have been avoided completely. I also agree with Spencer in the fact that the shutdown was completely irresponsible. Our officials should have worked out a compromise or come to some agreement (that is what we elect them to do) but instead they came to a grid lock and let the government stop completely. I believe that politicians will try to settle something out as soon as possible to sooth the enraged American public and so they can turn their attention to other issues such as the debt ceiling but even with this promptness n mind I believe the shutdown will last a total of at least one to two weeks.
1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/01/politics/government-shutdown/index.html
2)http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/us/politics/how-debt-ceiling-could-do-more-harm-than-the-impasse-in-congress.html?_r=0
I agree with Collin on the fact that a government shutdown is a very irresponsible solution to the issue of the Affordable Healthcare Act. Many people are now out of work, and they are not the only people inconvenienced, the people who would benefit from their services are hurt also. I agree with Collin's hope that maybe the shutdown "will serve as a slap in the face for all those who think our dysfunctional system is still operating smoothly." I believe the government's job is to improve our nation, and putting people out of work and stopping services is not doing that. Hopefully this will cause people to become angry and demand more of our government in the future. It appears that this may already be happening, as Congress' approval rating has hit an all time low of 10% this past week(1). It is hard to know how long this shutdown may drag out, but I am guessing, and hoping, that it will end within the next couple weeks. Politicians seem to be worried about re-election more than anything else, and the longer this shutdown lasts, it is likely their approval ratings will continue to plummet. This should give everyone some incentive to end this impasse.
1. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/cnn-poll-congress-approval/index.html
In response to Maddy’s post:
I agree with Maddy’s opinions on just about every part of this shutdown. Like her, I also do not agree with the strategy to use the showdown as an opportunity to defund the Affordable Care Act. But, like she said as well, I can see where the Republicans are coming from and I also don’t think it is wrong of them to use this situation as leverage. Both parties feel the need to show their strength, and so entered into yet another stalemate. As I mentioned in my first post, 92 continuing resolutions were passed from 2000 to 2012. (1) I didn’t believe that a shut down was the right answer but now it has happened so we are just going to have to roll with it. I also agree with Maddy that really both parties are to blame. As she mentioned, roughly 20 percent of Americans say both parties would be responsible, 36 percent said Republicans, and 39 percent Democrats. That’s a split right down the middle (2) As to how long the government will stay shut down, it could be well over a month. The government shutdown in 1995-1996 lasted 27 days (3) However, there are a few differences in the two shutdowns that could make this conflict drag on much longer. The first is that Clinton and Gingrich were a little more open to compromise than Obama and Boehner. Second, partisanship is deeper, and third, the economy is much worse today. (4) I believe that this conflict could last up near 2 or 3 months. That is a losing situation for both the government and the American public.
1) http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42647.pdf
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/23/poll-voters-will-blame-republicans-and-democrats-for-government-shutdown
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50156505n
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/01/politics/different-government-shutdowns/
I agree with Elizabeth A. With the government at its current state, now is not the time to try to defund the Affordable Care Act. There are greater issues at hand and raising the debt ceiling is one of them because if that is not done, then the government will be forced to shut down and hundreds of thousands of government employes will be out of a job(as they are now). The government needs to come together, especially in this time of struggle, and form a bipartisanship which will help the American people that will be effected by a government shutdown. It is extremely irresponsible of the government to try to play political games while the government is now shut down. They need to put the people first and in regards to the Affordable Care Act, it is an issue that can be debated at a more appropriate time. It is difficult to predict when the government shutdown will end, but both parties will try to decide which party is to blame, and when they think that the American people blame their party for the shutdown, then they will be forced to compromise with the opposing party (1). However, based on past government shutdowns,(in the Clinton Administration)I believe that this shutdown will only last about two weeks.
(1) http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-government-shutdown-q-and-a-20130930,0,5564531.story
I am responding to Spencer's post, and would have to both politely disagree with his logic and yet back his opinion. In his previous post he talked about how the Republicans should not try to defund Obamacare now because it is irresponsible and hurts the party, which I completely agree with. He also said both parties had a hand in the shutdown possibility, and I agree to a point, though place more blame on republicans overall. His other point was that Obamacare SHOULD be defunded, which I'd have to disagree with quite strongly. And now, seeing the fall out, I still agree that republicans are being ridiculous, maybe even think this more than before, and that Obamacare should not be discussed right now, but possibly in some future time when the economy is more stable (or even the government running at all would be nice actually) and the election is looming for both parties, providing a stage.
First of all, the republicans trying to defund Obamacare now is like trying to build a factory on wet concrete. The foundation isn't dry and stable yet! The workers will get stuck, and possibly compromise the work they did laying down the concrete, thus having to work harder to fix the foundation. Well, Obamacare is a bitter battle waiting to happen, but not right now. Allowing the government to shut down is like trying to build on wet concrete. Did they make any progress? No, just as Spencer predicted. They could have taken up this venture later when the government, or concrete, was dry and stable, but instead they insist that this Act be connected to the spending bill (even though it's simply a bargaining chip at this point) (1).
Even if they'd thought the concrete only needed to be semi-dry, they still couldn't have pulled this stunt off. They just don't have the votes to back themselves (2), meaning they literally poured the concrete, saw rain coming, and still tried to build their position anyway. One of the biggest supporters of defunding the ACA is Karl Rove, and even he is cited as thinking the plan is a flop (2). Therefore, the whole of the government shut-down was simply selfishness and irresponsibility. Had the republicans really wanted to make things work and still cut costs, they could have gone after Medicaid, Social Security, the military budget - these are things that could have been sensibly cut to some manageable degree quick enough to dodge the shutdown (2). Even just agreeing to look at the Senate budget might have worked out well. But they chose to let the government tank instead, and without a good plan that has any chance of working - without, even, a real plan (3).
I am responding to Spencer's post, and would have to both politely disagree with his logic and yet back his opinion. In his previous post he talked about how the Republicans should not try to defund Obamacare now because it is irresponsible and hurts the party, which I completely agree with. He also said both parties had a hand in the shutdown possibility, and I agree to a point, though place more blame on republicans overall. His other point was that Obamacare SHOULD be defunded, which I'd have to disagree with quite strongly. And now, seeing the fall out, I still agree that republicans are being ridiculous, maybe even think this more than before, and that Obamacare should not be discussed right now, but possibly in some future time when the economy is more stable (or even the government running at all would be nice actually) and the election is looming for both parties, providing a stage.
First of all, the republicans trying to defund Obamacare now is like trying to build a factory on wet concrete. The foundation isn't dry and stable yet! The workers will get stuck, and possibly compromise the work they did laying down the concrete, thus having to work harder to fix the foundation. Well, Obamacare is a bitter battle waiting to happen, but not right now. Allowing the government to shut down is like trying to build on wet concrete. Did they make any progress? No, just as Spencer predicted. They could have taken up this venture later when the government, or concrete, was dry and stable, but instead they insist that this Act be connected to the spending bill (even though it's simply a bargaining chip at this point) (1).
Even if they'd thought the concrete only needed to be semi-dry, they still couldn't have pulled this stunt off. They just don't have the votes to back themselves (2), meaning they literally poured the concrete, saw rain coming, and still tried to build their position anyway. One of the biggest supporters of defunding the ACA is Karl Rove, and even he is cited as thinking the plan is a flop (2). Therefore, the whole of the government shut-down was simply selfishness and irresponsibility. Had the republicans really wanted to make things work and still cut costs, they could have gone after Medicaid, Social Security, the military budget - these are things that could have been sensibly cut to some manageable degree quick enough to dodge the shutdown (2). Even just agreeing to look at the Senate budget might have worked out well. But they chose to let the government tank instead, and without a good plan that has any chance of working - without, even, a real plan (3).
Now 800,00 workers are sitting around biting their nails, and another million are working with no pay (4). This is like the cracks and dips now caused to the concrete, which, until the government isn't shut down, is still technically wet, and the bad ratings the republicans are recieving are the workers getting stuck (5). According to a poll conducted by ABC News/Washington Post 7 in 10 adults feel that republicans are handling themselves badly in the situation, and 59% of them are Americans who identify themselves as conservatives (5). The findings of a Pew Research Center poll say 4 in 10, or 38% ofAmericans, blame republicans for the shutdown (5).
By far I feel republicans are more responsible for this shut-down - however, much like half the country according to several polls (5), I don't feel democrats or the senate are without blame. Even just suggesting changes to the ACA may have shifted the republican view point, and Obama has himself said he won't negotiate with the republicans as long as they're demanding a ransom (6). However, they already let go of several issues, and the republicans left them little choice in the matter. Republicans had the ability to look like heroes by forfeiting, and therefore could have let the government continue and the concrete dry, solidifying their image and therefore their support to a certain point (2). But Republicans aren't even sure they can hold together through the week (6), and so will have a hard time now not only with their foundation, but also with the frame of their proposal, once they agree to it. The republicans aren't only to blame for the shutdown, they're also responsible for their own lack of success and are tarnishing their image. This shutdown, if republicans see reason, will probably only last a week or two longer than what it already has. But if they don't, it may be as long as the last one; 21 days, or even longer. With such a heated bunch and a red-hot topic, there's no telling when the fight will end.
1: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/index.html
2: http://reason.com/archives/2013/09/25/the-gops-flawed-plan-to-defund-obamacare
3: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/peter-king-gop-is-responsible-for-the-government-shutdown-video
4: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/01/us/politics/congress-shutdown-debate.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
5: http://www.wbir.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/07/polls-gop-takes-more-blame-for-shutdown-impasse/2939399/
6: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/29/questions-and-answers-about-the-shutdown/2888419/
Elizabeth A's blog post is very similar to how I feel about this situation. I completely agree that instead of becoming angry at each other over party issues we should be focusing solely on money matters right now. It is a waste of time and effort to be doing anything other than that. One part that baffles me about this situation (which Elizabeth discussed in her post) is that fact that even after this shut down, Obamacare will still be enacted. Very little will have changed besides the date on the calendar and an increased number of "inconvenienced Americans" as she calls them. I do not know if the people of congress believe that shutting the government down will save money, or if they are just sick of their jobs. I hope they are considering finding a new occupation because if they believe that this shut down is beneficial to our economy, they are wrong. Our economy is not like a lightbulb that when switched off saves energy (or metaphorical money in this case). It is a lightbulb that takes over one billion dollars to switch on and off. That does not sound like a very effective lightbulb (or metaphorical government shut down) to me. This issue has become strictly about political parties not wanting to compromise with each other and they have forgotten that their job is to serve the American people and better our economy. Her closing statement summarizes it nicely: "Politicians need to swallow their pride and get to work on viable solutions to America's economic problems."
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57606367/obama-to-boehner-again-end-government-shutdown-dont-allow-default/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-fiscal-20130917,0,2816791.story
In response to Spencer B’s post, I must agree with him on all of his points. His primary argument is that the debate of the Affordable Care Act does need to happen, just not in the presence of a looming government shutdown, and that neither party should be using something as extreme as a government shutdown to force the other party to do what they want. This I agree with, because whether or not the government shuts down, the Affordable Care Act is still going to get funded (Source 1), so using a government shutdown on either side is pointless, because both sides know it’s pointless, but they are both doing it anyway. As Spencer put it, it is a manipulation of the American people, and it is wrong. Spencer also stated that if either party was capable of coordinating their efforts, they would avoid shutdown as much as possible, because whichever party would have been capable of avoiding shutdown would have been hailed as heroes by the American people. But, as Spencer said, most politicians are not terribly intelligent, so it is, and as it turned out was, unlikely that either side would stop the looming government shutdown.
1. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/index.html
I agree with Ellen’s comment and I really like the comparison of the situation to a child throwing a tantrum. The republicans new the Affordable Care Act was coming and decided to late to take action before a government shutdown occurred but instead they pursue the argument anyway and now since they don’t get their way they’re going to hold the whole country hostage until they get what they want. According to News One 63 percent of Americans blame the GOP for the government shutdown. (1) Even if the Affordable Care Act is terrible you don’t decide to hold a stance that stalemates the government before a major legislation has to be made to keep the government running. This has really become a staring match for dominance and the republicans realized the democrats weren’t backing down so they made an attempt to make it look like the democrat’s fault the governments fault but it backfired and now the republican parties reeling trying to scramble to fix things but it’s too late.
http://newsone.com/2736441/government-shutdown-blame-game/
In response to Spencer B
I agree with Spencer’s assessment of the situation on Capitol Hill. The Republicans are using a strategy doomed to be ineffective, and neither major party is willing to compromise on any of the issues. It seems that neither party is truly concerned with compromising; rather, they wish to gain publicity and create a sense in the American people that the other party is the only party to blame. I also agree that the debate over healthcare needs to happen at some point, but now is not the time. Now that the government is shut down, the federal government has the debt ceiling looming, and the default date set at around October 17th. I don’t think that the shutdown will last much past this date simply because Capitol Hill should be smart enough to assess the enormous damage on the American economy that would occur if our debts defaulted (1). On the flip side, some Republican members of the house are supported by their districts in this act of defiance, even if that means that the shutdown continues. Because of this, Democrats are now trying to pass a discharge petition, requiring Republicans to agree as well, that would force a vote on reopening the government immediately (2). This would require Republicans to cross party lines, suggesting it could be difficult to get it passed. Because there are so many factors, it is truly impossible to anticipate an exact date when the government will be up and running again.
1 http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50156505n
2http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57606174/government-shutdown-drags-on-congress-to-take-sunday-off/
I agree with Carolyn Johnson that congress is going about the wrong way trying to solve this probelm, especially the Republicans trying to kill Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act. The republicans have already tried this before so we know the senate will never agree to killing the Affordable Care Act( 1). I also agree with her the the government shut down is not reasonable more responsible. I believe it's a little childish to be honest. The government shutdown will cause too much chaos (2). Many government services and agencies will be closed or suspended (2). It will cause more problems and it doesn't fix anything. However, I disagree with Carolyn when she says both parties are equally responsible. I believe that the republicans are more responsible for the government shutdown. Although both parties were involved I believe it was stupid of the Republicans to even think that the senate would pass the killing of Obamacare and therefore, I believe they are more to blame.
1. http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/14/20948247-government-shutdown-day-14-where-does-it-go-from-here?lite
2. http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2013/09/politics/government-shutdown-impact/
I agree with Carolyn Johnson that congress is going about the wrong way trying to solve this probelm, especially the Republicans trying to kill Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act. The republicans have already tried this before so we know the senate will never agree to killing the Affordable Care Act( 1). I also agree with her the the government shut down is not reasonable more responsible. I believe it's a little childish to be honest. The government shutdown will cause too much chaos (2). Many government services and agencies will be closed or suspended (2). It will cause more problems and it doesn't fix anything. However, I disagree with Carolyn when she says both parties are equally responsible. I believe that the republicans are more responsible for the government shutdown. Although both parties were involved I believe it was stupid of the Republicans to even think that the senate would pass the killing of Obamacare and therefore, I believe they are more to blame.
1. http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/14/20948247-government-shutdown-day-14-where-does-it-go-from-here?lite
2. http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2013/09/politics/government-shutdown-impact/
I agree with Alyssa L when she states that it is exhausting to be an American when it comes to issues like this. I myself find it completely and utterly stupid that there is a fight about this. I also agree with her when she states that it should be a last resort not a political move. Too often does the government take actions like these. As I stated in my post, 1) 44 percent of Americans will blame the Republicans for this shut down. If the polls say are true then the Republicans need to stop focusing so much on how to defund the Affordable Care Act and what threats they can make and need to find a way to compromise with the issue at hand. It was even that Obama was ready to negotiate even after the fact that there has been over 15 changes already made on the act. Alyssa also proves a good point when she says that if the Republicans are ready to compromise then what Senator Ted Cruz said is a complete waste of time. He spent 21 hours to talk about why they need to defund the Affordable Care Act. Those 21 hours could have been used for something else. Instead they continued to push the efforts of defunding the act even after many failed attempts. I like what Alyssa says about how the government cannot have another shutdown just because the Republicans and Democrats cannot cooperate. We are not talking about two kids fighting over a piece of candy. The decisions made by the government not only affect the parties but also the people who live in this country. What is really sad is that the Republican party is not thinking about the people to depend on the Affordable Care Act. They are totally neglecting the fact that there will be many Americans without health care. I always thought that the job of the two parties was to make sure that the people they are supposedly representing are alright and that nothing goes wrong but I am starting to second guess that. I guess I will just end on the note that if the Republican party continues to act like children, sooner or later something a lot worse than a shutdown is going to happen.
1) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-may-take-more-blame-for-shutdown-poll-says/
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home