Federal government shutdown may be inevitable

[^_^ 5,021]

Despite calls from rank-and-file teahadists to use the threat of government shutdown as leverage in the fight over funding the final seven months of fiscal year 2011, Republican leaders have repeatedly promised that they will not shut the government down.

President Obama has made it clear he's willing to accept some cuts, but he's also said he'd veto the House GOP's current proposal because it would undermine critical national priorities. In addition, the Senate is still controlled by Democrats, and Majority Leader Harry Reid has made it clear that the GOP plan isn't acceptable.

Obviously, what all this means is that if Republicans want to avoid shutting down the federal government, they are going to need to produce a budget that can get through the Senate and that President Obama is willing to sign.

...

There's plenty of reason to be skeptical that Speaker Boehner will be able to get the teahadist contingent in his caucus to accept a compromise. Boehner has proven himself surprisingly inept at running the House so far and teahadists have vowed to do whatever it takes to get their way.

Assuming that teahadists do end up refusing to agree to a compromise budget, the conventional wisdom is that a government shutdown would be inevitable. But it's important to remember there would still be another way: non-teahadist Republicans could work with House Democrats to pass a spending bill compromise. Yes, that would leave teahadists out in the cold, but the House is governed by majority rule. Even if one-third of the GOP caucus sat on the sidelines, there's enough Democrats to make up the difference.

Whether or not the government ends up shutting down is entirely in Speaker Boehner's hands. The question he has to figure out is whether he can get his party's right flank behind a compromise deal, or whether he needs to dump them overboard and start working with Democrats.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/16/945544/-Can-House-Republicans-avoid-a-federal-shutdown-without-ditching-their-tea-partiers

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The author seems to be obsessed with scrota.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Cheers galore if the Federal Government ever shut down...

Of course we hear this horseshit every couple of years anyway, so the hysterics on this one should be stopped...

[EAbbas 213]

I don't disagree that the government needs to create a decent budget but...where will that leave all of us in the visa process?? and those who want to begin applying for their loved ones? Bottom line.............what happens to us? The visa applications come to a dead halt only to resume with astronimical backlogs when they start the gov back up? Only to delay all of us farther than the csc to tsc and back again dilemma?

Edited February 21, 2011 by EAbbas

[Zero Sum 305]

On the flipside if the government gets shutdown imagine all the money that won't get spent. That should make some people happy, finally.

[mawilson 2,133]

Maybe people will finally see how useless the Federal Government really is when they shut down and nothing happens - life will go on.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

That is a fact, Jack. The Feds don't fill any potholes around here, nor do they pick up any roadkill.

[Zero Sum 305]

We'll see how long the possible shutdown lasts. The GOP should hope the aggregate of all essential spending, as well as discretionary spending, and other destinations don't suffer long-term hits because if there were any GOP voters in those areas... well... things would look like back in the 90s when they had their impasse with Clinton. And the GOP didn't come out too great back then either.

I hope they think like politicians, but act like public servants.

[mawilson 2,133]

All the bottom feeders sucking at the government's teat will come to the surface - we'll see exactly who they are when they start protesting the shutdown of "essential" government services.

[Zero Sum 305]

Amen to that. Bottom feeding teachers, cops, students, etc. I can picture it now.

Being such an important fiscal time, a springtime shutdown means more than just welfare assistance to the poh'.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Amen to that. Bottom feeding teachers, cops, students, etc. I can picture it now.

Being such an important fiscal time, a springtime shutdown means more than just welfare assistance to the poh'.

teachers, cops, etc.. aren't funded by the FEDS.. but nice try.

[Ban Hammer 12,829]

All the bottom feeders sucking at the government's teat will come to the surface - we'll see exactly who they are when they start protesting the shutdown of "essential" government services.

first up will be those not getting their welfare checks. and they'll have plenty of time to protest anyways.

[tru_loves_journey 117]

This link is telling what happened when the government shut down before and what could happen http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/21/news/economy/government_shutdown/index.htm?section=money_mostpopular

[Obama 2012 1,714]

This link is telling what happened when the government shut down before and what could happen http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/21/news/economy/government_shutdown/index.htm?section=money_mostpopular

I know. The horror of the bearaucrats staying home!!!!

They should shut it all down again, save some money and give no guarantees of back-pay!

When they pass a new bill, cut all federal salaries in half!

[tru_loves_journey 117]

I don't disagree that the government needs to create a decent budget but...where will that leave all of us in the visa process?? and those who want to begin applying for their loved ones? Bottom line.............what happens to us? The visa applications come to a dead halt only to resume with astronimical backlogs when they start the gov back up? Only to delay all of us farther than the csc to tsc and back again dilemma?

The last time the federal government went dark was for five days in November 1995 and another 21 days, ending in January 1996, during the Clinton administration. 200,000 passport applications went unprocessed. You can read about what i wrote at this link..

http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/21/news/economy/government_shutdown/index.htm?section=money_mostpopular