Will Republicans shut down the Federal Government in 2013?
By Roger Caldwell
The clock is ticking toward a government shutdown, and it will hurt millions of Americans, if it continues for any length of time. The Senate has agreed on a continuing resolution that will allow the government to keep running, but it is controlled by the Democrats. On the other hand the House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans, and anything can happen.
The Republican House in the last three years has voted 40 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, even though it has been passed by both Houses, signed by the president, and upheld by the Supreme Court. They have spent 15 percent of their time in the past three years trying to dismantle the law with 7,386 votes. This borders on the definition of insanity and it makes no sense.
As the deadline approaches at the end of the day on September 30, 2013, everyone in the country is frustrated and scared, and wonders how this will affect their family and life. President Obama has made his position clear: “Do not shutdown the government. Do not shutdown our economy. Pass a budget. Pay our bills on time. Do not threaten to burn the house down because you haven’t gotten 100 percent of what you want.”
This battle appears to be at a stalemate and both sides appear to be stuck on their side, and they think they are right. On Friday, September 27, President Obama held a national press conference that lasted around ten minutes and he said, “Nobody gets to threaten the full faith and credit of the United States just to extract some political concessions.”
President Obama is adamant with his position, and he refuses to negotiate. From the president’s position the Republicans are acting like spoiled children and it is time for them to grow up. Trying to dismantle or defund a law that begins in 3 days is not going to happen. The ACA is President Obama’s signature legislature that is part of his legacy of greatness that will transform the healthcare system in America, and the House Republicans needs to knock it off.
President Obama has explained to the House Republicans if they have any good ideas for improving healthcare, he is willing to talk with them. But threats to shutdown the government are not going to work, and he refuses to move from his position.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio has given signals that he does not want House Republicans blamed for a government shutdown, just months before a big congressional election year. But there are radical tea party members in his party, and they are trying to prove a point. The last major government shutdowns were in 1995 and 1996 and this hurt the Republican Party.
The date of the most recent shutdown was Dec. 15, 1995, to Jan. 6, 1996, and it lasted 21 days. According to the Congressional Research Services, 800,000 federal workers were furloughed and the cost of the shutdown has been estimated to be $1.4 billion.
If there is a shutdown in 2013, D.C., street sweeping will be suspended, Motor Vehicle locations closed, public libraries closed and Department of Transportation will work with a skeletal crew. Federal landmarks, national parks would be closed, and military and civilian employees’ pay could be delayed. Schools, police departments, fire departments and 50% of DOD employees would remain working.
A government shutdown is a huge mess and if it can be avoided, no one in the country wants one. Speaker Boehner has his work cut out for him with a divided party, and I am hoping on Monday when I sent this article out, there is a compromise, and the federal government is running and not getting ready to be shutdown.
