Government shutdown: House Republicans have now voted 41 times to repeal Obamacare, knowing each time that those bills would go nowhere in the Senate and never get the green light from...

KW Conch Loc: USA

House Republicans have now voted 41 times to repeal Obamacare, knowing each time that those bills would go nowhere in the Senate and never get the green light from President Barack Obama.

But Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) is amped up about attempt number 42. He and other Tea Party lawmakers in the House are pushing GOP leaders to tie a vote to defund the Affordable Care Act to a must-pass, temporary spending bill aimed at keeping the government funded past Oct. 1, when current funding runs out. The effort has been a serious headache for GOP leaders, who want to appease their Tea Party flank but don't want to risk a government shutdown.

What are the thoughts of this group about shutting down the government if the ACA is not defunded ?

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

We seemed to survive quite well the past times government was "shut down". It seems to be a big deal to the politicians and media but no one else.

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

Shut the Government down, let them know what it is like to be unemployed. At this point, what differences does it make? Maybe Obama will stay home and get some real work done. What does it mean to shut down the Government - nothing! nothing at all. Life goes on as usual. The republicans will be made to look like ass's, Obama will come out a winner and continue his job of bringing this country down.

bookreader

Actually it is a very big deal to government employees as well as all of the co tractors and other agencies that still need governme t assistance toleverage the millions of dollars in private funds they need to survive. Government was never the problem as Reagan suggested. It is more that most Americans have little understanding of what responsibilies fall on the government nor do they full grasp what life would be like without the services they provide. As we move toward a country with little interest in understanding the functions of the public sector, there will be less understanding of why the middle class is hollowed out, soon to disappear. I feel for our grandchildren as they will not have the life we would like but rather a world of little choice and few opportunities.

KW Conch Loc: USA

The debt ceiling is designed to simplify the issuing of bonds. It permits the US to automatically authorize the issuing of debt up to a certain amount. This is not the same thing as spending money. This is instead the ability to pay for spending. The money has already been budgeted to be spent. A failure on the debt ceiling is not like maxing out a credit card. It's more like refusing to pay your bills.

Frank T Loc: New York, NY

It's just another dumb idea brought to you by the far right. The first thing they should read is their own laws. Even shutting down the government won't effect Obamacare because it's considered, "Essential Spending", just like defense, Social Security and a thousand other exceptions.
The other thing they need to realize is that they spent this money and now they have to pay the bills.
It's easy to be a Tea Party member, just be against everything and hold fake press conferences with the three stooges.
What a country!

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

Frank T wrote:

It's just another dumb idea brought to you by the ... (show quote)

You are partly correct. It's disingenuous, though, to say "... realize that they spent this money ..." as though the others had nothing to do with that.

KW Conch Loc: USA

PrairieSeasons wrote:

You are partly correct. It's disingenuous, though, to say "... realize that they spent this money ..." as though the others had nothing to do with that.

The Constitution requires that all spending bills originate in the House of Representatives, which is controlled by the Republicans. They hold the purse strings.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

KW Conch wrote:

The Constitution requires that all spending bills originate in the House of Representatives, which is controlled by the Republicans. They hold the purse strings.

You are implying that all spending originated in the last four years, and that our government has passed budgets. Neither is correct.

KW Conch Loc: USA

PrairieSeasons wrote:

You are implying that all spending originated in the last four years, and that our government has passed budgets. Neither is correct.

I am saying that all spending bills originate in the House. Of course not all spending has taken place in the last 4 years, but it is on the front burner now.
Remember, it was Dick Cheney who said that deficits don't matter when he was the VP.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

KW Conch wrote:

I am saying that all spending bills originate in the House. Of course not all spending has taken place in the last 4 years, but it is on the front burner now.
Remember, it was Dick Cheney who said that deficits don't matter when he was the VP.

If the Republicans want to reign in spending, the proper way to do that would be through the budget rather than borrowing caps. I'm sure that Harry Reid will support that.

Nonetheless, we are spending money that we do not have and can not afford. It will come to an end one way or another, and it would be better if we do it rather than have it done to us.

KW Conch Loc: USA

PrairieSeasons wrote:

You are implying that all spending originated in the last four years, and that our government has passed budgets. Neither is correct.

By the way, the sequester has had only a small impact so far except on the military. On January 1st more and deeper cuts will take place and the rubber will start to hit the road. In order to balance the budget spending will have to be cut by 1/3 across the board. I don't think we could survive those cuts.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

KW Conch wrote:

By the way, the sequester has had only a small impact so far except on the military. On January 1st more and deeper cuts will take place and the rubber will start to hit the road. In order to balance the budget spending will have to be cut by 1/3 across the board. I don't think we could survive those cuts.

Then we will become another Greece, with others imposing the spending controls on us.

KW Conch Loc: USA

PrairieSeasons wrote:

Then we will become another Greece, with others imposing the spending controls on us.

What is your response to the Dick Cheney quote on deficits when Bush was doing so much spending ?

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

KW Conch wrote:

What is your response to the Dick Cheney quote on deficits when Bush was doing so much spending ?

If we are spending money we don't have and can't afford, we need to stop it while we can do that under our control. It doesn't make any difference which party of the ruling class is managing that spending.