Time and again, the Senate encounters itself navigating through the threat of a partial government shutdown, with mere hours remaining in the balance. Democrats are faced with a dilemma: take the bitter pill of a bill that empowers President Donald Trump with sweeping authority over fiscal decisions or block it and let the funding hiatus commence. Despite the expressed anguish, it was underscored on Thursday that it is unthinkable for the shutdown to take place, giving Democrats a leeway to unite with Republicans and greenlight the so-called continuing resolution or CR. Expectedly, a crucial procedural vote set for Friday will provide a yardstick on whether the package garners the required support of 60 votes to reach the final voting stage which most likely caps off the day.
In order to kick start the funding process, it’s essential for at least eight Democrats to set aside differences and unite with their Republican counterparts. The CR, albeit a problematic piece of legislation, actually becomes a lesser evil when weighed against the highly damaging repercussions of a government shutdown. In the wake of its inability to progress the yearly appropriation bills intended to financially back the government, Congress has ironically opted for momentary extensions as an alternative solution.
The bill presently under contemplation holds the unflattering distinction of being the third continuing resolution for the running fiscal year, which already treads on the halfway mark. Promising funds to the federal government until September’s end, it advocates for a cutback of nearly $13 billion in non-defense expenditure from the prior year while it proposes to inflate defense spending by an approximate of $6 billion. Earlier this week, the House, powered by a Republican majority, showed their support for this spending bill and instantly adjourned.
Expectedly, senators are now presented with a simple choice: acceptance or rejection. Despite a persistent push from Democrats for putting forth a fourth temporary extension, it’s clear as day that such a move won’t cut it. Thus, the lines in the sand have been etched, with both sides ready to lay the blame on the other for the looming shutdown. The real question for Democrats is whether they’re willing to back up a funding legislation inherited from the House, or if they are prepared to instigate a government shutdown.
Certain advocacy groups have taken it upon themselves to encourage the lawmakers to hold out for a 30-day extension and resist the spending bill. It’s no secret that Democrats have been vocal about their discontent with the financial allocations proposed in the bill. They argue that both defense and non-defense yields are significantly lower than what had been mutually agreed upon almost two years ago, when Congress approved the legislation that enhanced the debt ceiling in exchange for expenditure constraints.
Yet, their apprehensions extend further than the simple downward adjustments of the financial allotments. They’re especially perturbed by the far-reaching implications of the legislative latitude that this bill grants over fiscal decisions, dubbing it loosely as a ‘blank check’. Ordinarily, bills soliciting funds would stipulate specific provisions for key programs. However, under the canopy of this new bill, these directives may potentially face the ax.
A significant point of contention lies in the idea that this bill might facilitate the administration to divert funds away from certain important initiatives and plot a course for alternate uses. The District of Columbia finds itself in particularly hot water, as the proposed bill nullifies its current budget, thrusting it into a budgetary context of yesteryear. It’s important here to distinguish the spending bill from a concurrent effort to extend tax cuts for individuals, supposedly offset by expenditure cuts and other adjustments within the broader financial framework.
The post Democrats Accused of Wielding Government Shutdown as a Political Weapon appeared first on Real News Now.
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