US Shutdown Looms As Congress Squabbles

[Jazzy]

The US government is teetering on the brink of a partial shutdown that will curtail all but essential services, with no compromise in sight in a deeply polarised Congress.

If the Democrats and Republicans fail to find a solution before the deadline on a new spending bill, the shutdown goes into force at 12.01am on Tuesday.

The federal funding bill is usually considered routine business, but this time the measure is tied to the highly controversial health care law promoted by President Barack Obama.

It would be the first shutdown in 17 years.

While essential services would remain in place, nearly a million government employees will be forced off work without pay, and museums and national parks will close.

National parks and the capital's Smithsonian museums will be closed, pension and benefits cheques will be stopped and passport applications will not be processed.

The healthcare law was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, despite opposition by the Republican Party, especially Tea Party conservatives.

The Republican-dominated House has passed a funding bill that would delay the full effect of the healthcare law by one year.

But the Senate, controlled by the Democrats, has promised to reject the bill when it reconvenes later - resulting in a stalemate.

"To be absolutely clear, the Senate will reject both the one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act and the repeal of the medical device tax," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.

"After weeks of futile political games from Republicans, we are still at square one."

With a solution looking increasingly elusive, the blame game has begun on Capitol Hill.

A Tea Party leader, Senator Ted Cruz, pointed the finger at Senate Democrats.

"The House has twice now voted to keep the government open. And if we have a shutdown, it will only be because when the Senate comes back, Harry Reid says, 'I refuse even to talk,'" said Mr Cruz, who led a 21-hour talkathon against Obamacare.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the "Republicans decided they would rather make an ideological point by demanding the sabotage of the healthcare law".

The expected shutdown is jolting markets worldwide.

Full article

Do you think the healthcare law is so important to cause a US shutdown?

 

[DrLeftover]

I don't 'think the CONGRESS is so important to cause a US shutdown'.

That bunch of lowlife criminal arrogantly stupid lying losers who couldn't do anything else to earn their daily bread need to be taken out and marooned on Walpole Island with a can of SPAM each and forgotten about.

 

[JetWing34]

Yeah, Republicans are procrastinating every damn day to try to repeal Obamacare instead of focusing on trying to come up with a spending bill to prevent the government shutdown.

Don't these right-wing knuckleheads understand what's going on in America?

 

[DrLeftover]

Of course it is only the Republican's fault.

Nevermind that the NYT disagrees;

With Shutdown Near, Talk Is of Who’s at Fault, Not of a Deal

September 30, 2013

WASHINGTON — The House returned Monday morning, just hours before a midnight deadline to finance the government, with both Democrats and Republicans steeling themselves for a worst-case situation — the first government shutdown in 17 years — and trying to assign blame to the other party.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/01/us/politics/congress-shutdown-debate.html?_r=0



And, if I may ask, exactly what IS going on in America?


"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
- Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

 

[Evil Eye]

It just... stops?
They should get some programmers to organise this mess.

That bunch of lowlife criminal arrogantly stupid lying losers who couldn't do anything else to earn their daily bread

They might be capable of earning their bread some other way, but why should they? They're getting paid for this crap after all...

 

[DrLeftover]

That bunch of lowlife criminal arrogantly stupid lying losers who couldn't do anything else to earn their daily bread

They might be capable of earning their bread some other way, but why should they? They're getting paid for this crap after all...
[/quote]

Would you buy a used car from this man?

 

[The Dragon Master]

Are the Republican's against this Health Care Law because it's something the Democrats thought off and passed? I'm confused.

 

[Jazzy]

Several of my friends work for Homeland Security at the airport. They are working without pay. They also cannot take any time off or they will be considered AWOL. They will eventually get their pay but how long of a wait, no one knows. They have to wait for this shutdown to be over and there's no light at the end of that tunnel.

 

[Evil Eye]

Would you buy a used car from this man?

If it runs and isn't too expensive, sure.