Another threat of a government shutdown nears
Congress has until Monday to pass new debt-ceiling limits. If the legislative bodies do not reach an agreement, the federal government will partially shut down.
Republicans are stalling on the debt ceiling vote to force a one-year delay in the implementation of Obamacare.
It’s a political move that will serve the party well during mid-term elections as there are 33 U.S. Senate seats at stake.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.), tried to execute a filibuster this week to try to talk Congress into shutting down the federal government.
In a letter to congressional leaders, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said the federal government will officially run out of money on October 17 unless Congress does something not now, but right now. Cruz tried to make the case that federal government spending is out of control, but the debt ceiling increase is not the same as increasing spending. It just allows the government to pay for expenditures Congress has already approved. We technically hit our debt limit on May 19, but Treasury has been taking “extraordinary measures”—scraping for change under the couch, hitting up rainy-day funds—to pay bills and make do. But there’s nothing extraordinary left to do come October 17.
According the Reuters, up to 800,000 federal employees would be furloughed as a result of the shutdown.
In the event of a shutdown, furloughed employees would return to work and receive back pay.
Shutdowns occurred 15 times between 1977 and 1996; ranging in duration from 3 to 21 days.
It seems like Congress just can’t agree on key issues affecting the American people.
Our congressional legislators have a responsibility to serve the people, but how much of the responsibility lies on us since we elect them?
Is it time for us to take a closer look at who we’re appointing?
Sound off below!
