Campaigning takes precedence over passing a budget
By Krystle Weeks | Thursday, September 30th, 2010 | Policy, PoliticsCould there be another government shutdown? The Democratic leadership in Congress has failed to pass a budget for this coming fiscal year. While they have passed a temporary measure to keep government agencies running until they return in November, this could have a negative impact on many federal workers once the measure runs out. They have also failed to pass a measure to continue the tax cuts for all Americans.
Does this surprise anyone about Congress neglecting to address important issues such as passing a budget and continuing tax cuts for all Americans? According to a recent article from the Associated Press, the Democratic leadership has called off votes and debates on “all controversial matters.”
The controversial matters of passing a budget and the continuation of tax cuts in this dismal economic climate are important. A federal budget sets guidelines for spending and without one, excessive spending will take place and lead to more wasteful programs. Additionally, the tax cuts are beneficial to working families and should be made permanent for economic relief.
Instead, Congress decides to neglect their basic job duties to save their jobs. November is coming and it could provide a surprising referendum.
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About the author
Growing up in Maryland typically does not yield a Republican. Fortunately, Krystle Weeks was one of the lucky few booted to the Commonwealth for her staunch conservative views. From an early age, she has been debating politics, and since 2006, she has been involved here in the Commonwealth helping Republican candidates to victory. Aside from politics, Krystle is a runner and a dynamite cook. You can email her here. Krystle also blogs at Crystal Clear Conservative and Charm Offensive Cooking.
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27 Responses to "Campaigning takes precedence over passing a budget"
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bearing Drift, Don Baker. Don Baker said: RT @bearingdrift: Web: Campaigning takes precedence over passing a budget http://bit.ly/a4HduO [remember in November!] [...]
You blame the Democrats alone? If the Democrats proposed it the Republicans will oppose it. Better to kick the can down the road until the Republicans have more power and then see what happens.
Just how willing will the Republicans to play brinkmanship?
Krystal states:
“November is coming and it could provide a surprising referendum.”
In the opening sentence to her piece she asks:
“Could there be another government shutdown?”
I hope she is just as willing to be critical of the new Congress if they are unable to get even a continuing resolution passed. She might get one heck of alot to complain about if her criticisms are not muted by partisanship.
Remember when the last shut down occurred. Bill Clinton rode that wild, bucking stallion to a second term.
David.
President – Democrat
House – Democrat
Senate – Democrat
Not a single appropriations bill passed. Not one!
Whose fault?
Not Democrats?
You’re insane.
Brian,
Ever heard about the filibuster? I thought you were informed.
So, 1 Republican Senator gets the blame over 59 Democrat Senators, the House and the President?
Man, y’all are weak.
LD – filibuster rules are always enacted enacted by the majority. The threshold to overcome one could be lower, if the majority wanted it to be.
Actually Brian they passed two out of twelve. But the rest of your critique was correct.
Also LD there is no filibuster in the House so there is no reason why they could not have passed the remaining budgets and then complained that the Senate was holding things up.
To not do this makes it look like there is no leadership in the House and that they the Reps. are scared by having to run on a bloated budget.
First off, not finishing the approps bills and having to pass a CR is pretty common these days (under both parities), and it in no way is a prime indicator that a government shut down is just around the corner. Please remember that the folks reading this information are pretty savvy. Secondly, I much prefer Congress to have adjourned to go home and campaign than to staying in DC and continuing to screw things up. Personally I have had enough of their “legislating.” Dems can campaign all they want, but the dye has been cast and the voters are ready to vote.
Matt – well put.
Jon is correct. Continuing Resolutions have become the norm in Congress rather than the exception. The last time that the Congress passed all 12 annual appropriation bills before the September 30 deadline was 1994. The following year, the Gingrich-Clinton stand-off caused the famous “train wreck” shut-down.
This year, the House has passed all 12 bills, but only 4 have been passed in the Senate and none have been to a Conference Committee for resolution of differences and final passage.
The failure of the bills to be passed in the Senate is not the direct result of the filibuster. Rather, the Senate has been too busy trying to score political points on both sides to do their important work for the people and to keep the Federal government on a steady funding stream. Issues such as repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the DREAM act, and other actions designed to pander to niche voters has been the priority in the Senate since the end of the summer recess.
And the appropriation bills are not the only important business languishing in the Senate. Over 100 Federal judge appointments, many for vacancies that date back well into the Bush Administration, are waiting for Senate confirmation.
Is it any wonder that Congress has a lower approval rating than car salesmen and telemarketers?
Let’s look at reality.
If the House passed a budget and it stood zero chance in the Senate due to the filibuster, why bother? Oh I guess there would be some political points to be gained, but as long as the filibuster remains, why even try?
You Republicans have certainly enjoyed your filibuster proof minority in the Senate. Even with your gains in this election how are you going to get around that?
Why try LD? Because it is their job.
Democrats’ re-election slogan – “Why bother?”
I think Congress has gotten all of the approps bills passed before July (the statutory deadline that’s always waived) something like twice in the last 10 years.
Hey Brian,
Yeah, Democrats re-election slogan should be:
Be afraid, be very very afraid of what a Republican majority means with the likes of Miller, O’Donnell, Angle and Rand in that majority.
I see brain dead people!
Really LD? You should be better than that. Enough with the trying to scare people route it is really childish. Democrats in Congress have had the last four years and they have just added debt time to see what happens when we get adults in there.
Poll question:
#1 In your opinion are the three VA-02 candidates for Congress
A. Sincerely interested in helping people?
B. Sincerely interested in their own careers/money?
C. Both A & B
D. Not sure
#2 How do you rate the way that Congress is presently doing its job?
A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Fair
D. Poor
E. Not Sure
#3 How did you rate the way that Congress was doing its job in 2006?
A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Fair
D. Poor
E. Not Sure
#4 Looking to the future, will you be better off in two years than you are today by electing:
A. A non establishment incumbent Democrat
B. An establishment Republican
C. A former GOP chair Independent
D. A write-in
E. Not voting
The Dodo birds of the democratic party are now waddling back home to try the Jedi mind trick of convincing the voters that they are so stupid that they don’t even realize that the stimulus worked wonders. Or that the biggest tax increase since WW2 will make things better.
Have a feeling that it will not work this time. Even Barney Frank may lose this year. Oddly enough, voters are starting to get insulted by this ivory tower Elmer Fudd and his crooked colleagues.
Good news! A Republican, Nobody, is in a statistical dead heat with President Obama in the 2012 presidential election:
http://dougpowers.com/2010/02/11/obama-tied/
Waddle Dodo waddle, the big wave is getting bigger.
Turbo
#5 That former GOP chair independent also
A. Chickened out of running for the nomination
B. Whined about it for months
C. Has staffers whine about conspiracies between national Parties and polling firms
D. Has no way to get his message out other than signs that highlight that no one knows him
E. Thinks the Whig Party is press conference worthy.
F. Is becoming famous for debating whether a debate is a forum or a debate
G. All of the above
My answer to #4 would be D. I will be writing in the name of the only person that I feel could really help make this nationn that shining city on the hill again. And, that person is Brian Kirwin. Kirwin for Congress. Who is with me?
I would turn Congress into Progress!
BK: Do you think that you could get the endorsement of Mike Barrett?
Matt,
You think the Tea Party Candidates are adults? I think it is amounts to adding children to the playground.
Let us look at solving just the Social Security funding problem as an example. Does adding Republican (Tea Party) Senate candidate from Alaska Joe Miller add adult ideas to the mix? Nope, he insists Social Security is unconstitutional. I guess the Tea Party thinks Joe Miller has the answer to the Social Security funding problem.
That’s what is scary. The Tea Party does think Joe Miller has the solution to the problem.
Our election happens right after Halloween and the Tea Party candidates have all the right costumes on to appeal to certain elements of our populace. What’s more frightening is that all Republicans are forced to deal with Tea Party influence in their primaries. I see brain dead people.
Little David, what is scary is the ratio of impossible social security budget that will pass with rino support. I am betting on, not wishing for it. with 1/2 – 1/3 the number of law abiding working people funding each recipient of socialist security there is no way for the math to work while being taxed enough to pay for the bush/obama years. The numbers won’t lie, congressmen will.
The only major difference between your party and the gop is that the gop is saying they will not raise taxes.. as much, but, your party promises to raise them. Either way SOME OF US get the bill.
I guess that Florida democratic Rep. Alan Grayson is your idea of a moderate wise adult democrat ???
I think that the Tea Party activists are maybe a little crazy but they have acted fine. It has been the establishment politicians that have acted like little children.
So LD, let me get this straight if someone is one an extreme and they are conservative then they are a scary bogeyman bad person? But if a person is on the liberal extreme then they are a grown up and should be treated as though they just want what is best for America because they know what is best and they will tell you what is best because they know more than you could because they are smart and we are all dumb? You can’t have it both ways. Both parties have people on the extremes of their parties base. Most of the Ds are currently in Congress. But you don’t think the conservatives should be in Congress.
Maybe you should grow up.
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