The Washington Post reported today that the Republicans in the House had passed a one-week continuing resolution to keep the government running. The President has vowed to veto that legislation if it ever reaches his desk. So how did we get here?
Congress is required by law to pass a budget by the end of October. Last year, the Democratic Congress chose not to pass a budget--it was an election year and they were afraid of the consequences of taking a stand on anything. That is the reason we are having this discussion now instead of last fall.
It looks as if the President believes that a government shutdown will help him politically. That may be a result of some focus group polling or that just may be a calculation based on events the last time the government was shut down. I am not sure who wins in this mess. The 24-hour news cycle may play a role in how this turns out--any pictures of frustrated tourists trying to get into a national park can be countered by a reminder of how we got here.
Whatever happens next, we need to keep in mind that we are here because the Democrats in Congress and the President did not do their jobs last fall. That fact should not get lost in the shuffle.
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