One week to US government shutdown - Polidicks

[url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/23/government-shutdown-deadline_n_3974982.html?utm_hp_ref=politics[/url] [quote] WASHINGTON — With a week left to hammer out a deal to avoid a government shutdown, some lawmakers seem resigned – if not rushing – to that end. Most say they don't want the first government shutdown since 1996. But if the government happens to shut down, so be it. Republicans say it is part of their effort to dismantle Democrats' health care overhaul, while Democrats defending the law recall that similar standoffs gave them political gains. And fingers were already being pointed just to be on the safe side. "I believe we should stand our ground," said Sen. Ted Cruz, a tea party darling from Texas who pushed fellow Republicans to link a temporary budget bill with a provision to defund the Affordable Care Act. Some Republicans have vowed to shut down the government unless they can stop the law from taking hold. Cruz and fellow tea party conservatives on Sunday said President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies would be to blame if they don't accede to demands to strike the national health care law. "If Harry Reid kills that (demand), Harry Reid is responsible for shutting down the government," Cruz said Sunday. The tactic won sharp criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans, well aware the shutdown in the-mid 1990s helped President Bill Clinton regain his political footing and win a second term. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called supporters of the defund-or-else strategy "legislative arsonists." Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said the effort would not accomplish its goal and was unrealistic. [/quote] So, to recap: -Congress has roughly one week to pass either a full budget or a Continuing Resolution that keeps things running as they are. -In the event of a shutdown, hundreds of thousands of government workers get furloughed, national parks close, visa processing stops, Head Start stops, and many government workers that do continue working may not get paid until the shutdown is over. See: [url]http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2013/09/20/government-shutdown-101-what-happens-when-the-lights-go-off/[/url] -House Republicans have decided that they will not pass a CR unless it defunds the Affordable Care Act, which passed in 2009 and the House has voted to repeal 30+ times. -Senate Democrats will not pass any CR that defunds ACA, and the President will not sign any such legislation. -The deadline for the CR is followed closely by the deadline to raise the debt ceiling, which authorizes the executive branch to continue borrowing money to pay for acts of Congress. -Obama has declared that he will not negotiate regarding the debt ceiling or the CR, and that Congress should pass both without demanding radical legislative change. -John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, has the option of introducing a "clean" CR that keeps the government running with no other provisions, and this would likely pass with a combination of Democrat and moderate Republican votes. However, this bill would not have the support of a majority of Republicans in the House, and because Boehner's position is voted on by all House Republicans, introducing a bill that fails to get a majority of Republican votes will likely cost Boehner his job. Remember, the Speaker has a powerful role in deciding if and when legislation reaches the House floor for a vote. IMO, our best bet for avoiding this is Republicans blinking as a result of public opinion polls turning against them, but the Tea Partiers don't seem to give a shit about public approval, and I don't know if Boehner would give up his job to avoid a shutdown. Last time Republicans forced a shutdown on a Democratic administration, they ended up stuck with the blame and suffered a political defeat. The scariest part is that the Tea Partiers behave as though they WANT to see a shutdown and possible default on the debt for extreme ideological reasons, and as long as they have the Speakership leverage, moderate Republicans can't keep them under control. I think we're heading for at least a short government shutdown. It depends on how long it takes for the House GOP to get feedback on whether their constituents really support their tactics. This is territory we've been over before, so I think they're more likely to cause a shutdown than to cause an actual default when debt ceiling time rolls around. Having another debt ceiling fight in the middle of a shutdown could be fucking crazy.

I feel really bad for my dad; he's a federal firefighter working with the Department of the Army; he's taken a big hit caused by sequestration, which as of right now the worst hasn't even hit yet. It makes me wonder how our country is even "stable" right now.

Oh look, this shit again. Lets not solve our problems by working together, but keeping the bipartisanship going and the constant cockblocking of anything that either side comes up with.

They are not going to shutdown.

Nothing is going to happen. Neither party will want to be held responsible for a shutdown, so one of the parties will eventually break.

And Congress won't do anything beneficial, as usual.

[quote]-House Republicans have decided that they will not pass a CR unless it defunds the Affordable Care Act, which passed in 2009 and the House has voted to repeal 30+ times.[/quote] Fuck Republicans. Never have I seen a party that is so willing to fuck up their own economy if they don't get their shitty own agenda in.

Truth; those old bags should be put on ice until we can fix their brains and make them think like actual modern-day humans.

[QUOTE=Starpluck;42283015]Fuck Republicans. Never have I seen a party that is so willing to fuck up their own economy if they don't get their shitty own agenda in.[/QUOTE] What completely puzzles me is that Republicans will do stuff like this--which they don't even have the courtesy of at least attempting to bullshit the nation; then when things get even worse they instantly point fingers at Democrats and blame them for the economic problems and the lack of successful reform.

[QUOTE=Starpluck;42283015]Fuck Republicans. Never have I seen a party that is so willing to fuck up their own economy if they don't get their shitty own agenda in.[/QUOTE] But change is scary and they aren't ready to embrace new ideas ;-;

Looks like I might get my birthday week off. Except without pay, because really, who needs to eat anyways. Meanwhile the idiots that caused this situation are already only working, what, a third of the year at most, yet drawing six-figure salaries. [I]Thanks Congress![/I]

[QUOTE=Antdawg;42283011]Nothing is going to happen. Neither party will want to be held responsible for a shutdown, so one of the parties will eventually break.[/QUOTE] That depends on the number of crazy people that think they have a divine mandate to dismantle the government by shutting it down. Not a majority of the GOP, to be sure, but those people plus the people who want to stop Obongo's death panels at all costs may be enough to keep the moderate Republicans from doing anything productive.

America pls get your shirt together you are fucking up the world economy

Oh no this time it's really gonna happen guys trust me! [editline]23rd September 2013[/editline] The government shutting down is just like North Korea attacking. It comes around every couple months and never amounts to anything.

Keep on blaming obama, his policies and the congress. It's all a big circus to distract you from what is really going on. Dollar collapse is imminent. The fake debt-based economy is coming to an end & a new global currency will be forced upon the world. The end of America marks the beginning of the new order.

[QUOTE=Starpluck;42283015]Fuck Republicans. Never have I seen a party that is so willing to fuck up their own economy if they don't get their shitty own agenda in.[/QUOTE] It will be 40 soon. [quote]The one thing they have been busy at is trying to repeal Obamacare. They’ll try again today for the 40th time. The next vote is tied to a short-term government funding bill that would keep the lights on in government.[/quote] From the forbes article.

Dear USA, Your country is fucked. Yours Sincerely, Germany.

just give the republicans their confederate land back so they can fuck off forever

[QUOTE=Ogopogo;42283536]It will be 40 soon. From the forbes article.[/QUOTE] I don't see why the US can't have a socialised health program like Europe. Oh wait, it's to pander to the corporate overlords. :downs:

[QUOTE=SuddenImpact;42283541]Dear USA, Your country is fucked. Yours Sincerely, Germany.[/QUOTE] Dear Germany, No one forgets WWII The people who fucked up your land, USA -- Theres a part of me who wants to see our government fuck up for the sole purpose of people realizing how screwed up our country is

For everyone in foreign countries saying that America is fucking up, has major issues and is going down the shitter, don't you think that we, the unfortunate fuckers in the governmental shitstorm crossfire here know that already? Our government is pretty much an old white guy (with a few exceptions) treehouse club that accomplishes jack-shit on a good day, and ruins a whole bunch of shit on a bad one. At this point, I'm pretty sure that a huge number of, if not the majority of U.S. citizens have an opinion on the government here that ranges exclusively from "ehh" to "burn it all to the ground". So yeah, we're well aware that shit sucks over here on the "government that actually does anything useful" front. Try telling the people in charge that instead, you'll have about as much luck as we have, I wager. [editline]23rd September 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=areolop;42283663] Theres a part of me who wants to see our government fuck up for the sole purpose of people realizing how screwed up our country is[/QUOTE] I agree, but it'd inevitably be drowned by the media and general gnat-level public attention span.

[QUOTE=Tengil;42283466]Keep on blaming obama, his policies and the congress. It's all a big circus to distract you from what is really going on. Dollar collapse is imminent. The fake debt-based economy is coming to an end & a new global currency will be forced upon the world. The end of America marks the beginning of the new order.[/QUOTE] invest in gold today

[QUOTE=SuddenImpact;42283541]Dear USA, Your country is fucked. Yours Sincerely, Germany.[/QUOTE] Can I join you guys?

[QUOTE=TurboSax;42283725]Try telling the people in charge that instead, you'll have about as much luck as we have, I wager. [/QUOTE] The only way to make these people listen would be to present them a suitcase full of green paper with faces on it. [editline]23rd September 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Alxnotorious;42283794]Can I join you guys?[/QUOTE] Only if you survive the horrible immigration ritual involving loads of german beer and yodel music.

Well based on the definition of essential workforce my family will likely not be affected too hard but fuck you congress for making me fear for my family's financial security.

[QUOTE=SuddenImpact;42283806]Only if you survive the horrible immigration ritual involving loads of german beer and yodel music.[/QUOTE] I think I could take the yodel music, but I don't drink beer :(

Kind of sad to live in a world where Politics and Ignorance can be considered synonymous.

I personally don't want Obamacare, because it isn't "socialized healthcare" all it does is tax your income more if you don't buy shitty expensive healthcare from some corporation. If I wanted healthcare I'd pay for it. Don't force something I can't afford and don't want/need on me goddamnit.

I'm just amazed how many of these are just straight up hostage situations [QUOTE=Alxnotorious;42283841]I think I could take the yodel music, but I don't drink beer :([/QUOTE] banning you from america anyways, say hi to the swiss for me

[QUOTE=areolop;42283663]Dear Germany, No one forgets WWII The people who fucked up your land, USA [/QUOTE] was this necessary