US government shuts down as Congress misses deadline

[webfact]

SHUTDOWN
US government shuts down as Congress misses deadline

WASHINGTON: -- For the first time in nearly two decades, the US government staggered into a partial shutdown Monday at midnight after congressional Republicans stubbornly demanded changes in the nation's health care law as the price for essential federal funding and President Barack Obama and Democrats adamantly refused.

As Congress gridlocked, Obama said a ``shutdown will have a very real economic impact on real people, right away,’’ with hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed and veterans’ centres, national parks, most of the space agency and other government operations shuttered.

He laid the blame at the feet of House Republicans, whom he accused of seeking to tie government funding to ideological demands, ``all to save face after making some impossible promises to the extreme right wing of their party.’’

House Speaker John Boehner responded a short while later on the House floor. ``The American people don’t want a shutdown and neither do I,’’ he said. Yet, he added, the new health care law ``is having a devastating impact. ... Something has to be done.’’

There are few issues Republicans feel as passionately about as the health care reform, which they have dubbed ``Obamacare.’’ They see the plan, intended to provide coverage for the millions of Americans now uninsured, as wasteful and restricting freedom by requiring most Americans to have health insurance.

The US stock market dropped on fears that political gridlock between the White House and a Republican Party influenced by hardcore conservative tea party lawmakers would prevail, though analysts suggested significant damage to the national economy was unlikely unless a shutdown lasted more than a few days.

A few minutes before midnight, White House Budget Director Sylvia Burwell issued a directive to federal agencies to ``execute plans for an orderly shutdown.’’ While an estimated 800,000 federal workers faced furloughs, some critical parts of the government _ from the military to air traffic controllers _ would remain open

Still, a shutdown would inconvenience millions of people who rely on federal services or are drawn to the nation’s parks and other attractions.

Many low-to-moderate-income borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-backed mortgages could face delays, and Obama said veterans’ centres would be closed.

Some critical services such as patrolling the borders and inspecting meat would continue. Social Security benefits would be sent, and the government health care programs for the elderly and poor would continue to pay doctors and hospitals.

US troops were shielded from any damage to their wallets when Obama signed legislation assuring the military would be paid in the in the event of a shutdown.

The State Department would continue processing foreign applications for visas, and embassies and consulates overseas would continue to provide services to American citizens.

Any interruption in federal funding would send divided government into territory unexplored in nearly two decades. Then, Republicans suffered grievous political damage and President Bill Clinton benefited from twin shutdowns in 1995 and 1996. Now, some Republicans said they feared a similar outcome.

If nothing else, some Republicans also conceded it was impossible to use funding legislation to squeeze concessions from the White House on health care. ``We can’t win,’’ said Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate.

On a long day and night in the Capitol, the Senate torpedoed one Republican attempt to tie government financing to changes in the health care law. House Republicans countered with a second despite unmistakable signs their unity was fraying _ and Senate Democrats promptly rejected it, as well.

Defiant still, House Republicans decided to re-pass their earlier measure and simultaneously request negotiations with the Senate on a compromise. Some aides conceded the move was largely designed to make sure that the formal paperwork was on the Senate’s doorstep as the day ended.

Whatever its intent, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rejected it. ``That closes government. They want to close government,’’ he said of House Republicans.

As lawmakers squabbled, Obama spoke bluntly about House Republicans. ``You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job, for doing what you’re supposed to be doing anyway, or just because there’s a law there that you don’t like,’’ he said. Speaking of the health care law that undergoes a major expansion on Tuesday, he said emphatically, ``That funding is already in place. You can’t shut it down.’’

There were some signs of fraying within Republican ranks. For the first time since the showdown began more than a week ago, there was public dissent from the Republican strategy that has been carried out at the insistence of tea party-supported Republican House members working in tandem with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Republican Rep. Charles Dent said he was willing to vote for stand-alone legislation that would keep the government running and contained no health care-related provisions. ``I would be supportive of it, and I believe the votes are there in the House to pass it at that point,’’ the fifth-term congressman said.

Other Republicans sought to blame Democrats for any shutdown, but Dent conceded that Republicans would bear the blame, whether or not they deserved it.

Hours before the midnight deadline, the Senate voted 54-46 to reject a proposal by House Republicans for a temporary funding bill that would have kept the government open but would have delayed implementation of the health care law for a year and permanently repeal a tax on medical devices that helps finance it.

House Republicans countered by scaling back their demands and seeking different concessions in exchange for allowing the government to remain open. They called for a one-year delay in a requirement in the health care law for individuals to purchase coverage or face financial penalties.

The same measure also would require members of Congress and their aides as well as the president, vice president and the administration’s political appointees to bear the full cost of their own health care coverage by barring the government from making the customary employer contribution.

The vote was 228-201, with a dozen Republicans opposed and nine Democrats in favor.

Unimpressed, Senate Democrats rejected the House measure on another 54-46 party line vote about an hour later.

Obama followed up his public remarks with phone calls to Boehner and the three other top leaders of Congress, telling Republicans he would continue to oppose attempts to delay or cut federal financing of the health care law.

The prospect of a shutdown led US stocks to sink as Wall Street worried the budget fight could lead to something much worse for the economy _ a failure to raise the nation’s borrowing limit.

Republicans are likely to take up the health care fight again when Congress must pass a measure to increase the borrowing cap, which is expected to hit its $16.7 trillion ceiling in mid-October,

Obama has vowed not to negotiate over the debt ceiling, noting that a default would be worse for the economy than a partial government shutdown.

The US risks a market-rattling, first-ever default on its obligations if Congress fails to raise that limit

Both a shutdown and a default would be politically risky ahead of next year’s congressional elections.

Some Republican leaders fear the public will blame their party for the shutdown. But individual House


-- The Nation 2013-10-01

[theblether]

See, it only took 237 years for you to discover it but we told you you weren't capable of running your own country.

Didn't we? huh? HUH?

I'll get my coat.

[HeijoshinCool]

Try to make it last until all the liars politicians give up and go home.

Andy Capp and The Three Stooges could do a better job.

[JetsetBkk]

See, it only took 237 years for you to discover it but we told you you weren't capable of running your own country.

Didn't we? huh? HUH?

I'll get my coat.

Unfortunately they fooled a lot of the people a lot of the time.

[Jingthing]

Here is a bit of humor about the situation. Sort of.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/09/30/potential_government_shutdown_how_would_the_u_s_media_report_on_it_if_it.html

This is the first installment of “If It Happened There,” a regular feature in which American events are described using the tropes and tone normally employed by the American media to describe events in other countries.

WASHINGTON, United States—The typical signs of state failure aren’t evident on the streets of this sleepy capital city. Beret-wearing colonels have not yet taken to the airwaves to declare martial law. Money-changers are not yet buying stacks of useless greenbacks on the street.

[JetsetBkk]

Here is a bit of humor about the situation. Sort of.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/09/30/potential_government_shutdown_how_would_the_u_s_media_report_on_it_if_it.html

This is the first installment of If It Happened There, a regular feature in which American events are described using the tropes and tone normally employed by the American media to describe events in other countries.

WASHINGTON, United StatesThe typical signs of state failure arent evident on the streets of this sleepy capital city. Beret-wearing colonels have not yet taken to the airwaves to declare martial law. Money-changers are not yet buying stacks of useless greenbacks on the street.

I hope there's a "The Simpsons" episode about this. They are pretty good at extracting the urine about the American way of life.

[Skint]

Looks like a bit of misery for the yanks, tax grief and now this> Join the club!

[hanno]

Sometimes one gets a feeling that the good 'ole US of A is more of a banana republic than , say, Thailand;-)

[Berkshire]

I wonder if this thread is going to sink to bitter partisan bickering. That would resemble the childishness already being exhibited by our elected leaders. We should just agree that both parties suck. I do believe that one party sucks more than the other, but I'll just leave it at that for now.

[Mosha]

What was that line spoken to Steve McQueen's character in The Great Escape? - "How are you managing over there with out us?"

[JetsetBkk]

I wonder if this thread is going to sink to bitter partisan bickering. That would resemble the childishness already being exhibited by our elected leaders. We should just agree that both parties suck. I do believe that one party sucks more than the other, but I'll just leave it at that for now.

I totally agree.

(Except for the bit about "our elected leaders" - I'd change that to "your elected leaders" )

[hanno]

I wonder if this thread is going to sink to bitter partisan bickering. That would resemble the childishness already being exhibited by our elected leaders. We should just agree that both parties suck. I do believe that one party sucks more than the other, but I'll just leave it at that for now.

I totally agree.

(Except for the bit about "our elected leaders" - I'd change that to "your elected leaders" )

I agree with both . Though I might rewrite it to "ALL parties suck".

[quiuvo]

House Speaker John A. Boehner fell in a trap. It's a temporary shutdown.

US embassy will not be affected.

Which economy is in worse shape, USA or GB?

"237 years" and some people can't forget that. Wow

[HeijoshinCool]

Pretty sure the IRS will be open for business.

And those pervert dimwit fondlers at the airports.

[Chicog]

I prefer to just stick to "All Politicians are scum-sucking bottom feeders".

[rotary]

The US Govt is worse than a drunk sailor as the sailor stops spending when is is broke, The US just keeps on spending. You would think that the democrats would understand how bad Obamacare will be.

[kamahele]

See, it only took 237 years for you to discover it but we told you you weren't capable of running your own country.

Didn't we? huh? HUH?

I'll get my coat.

Maybe if GB repaid their loans with interest from the last 2 world wars, we could balance our budget finally :-) Meant to be taken in fun.

[Wat dee]

I wonder if this thread is going to sink to bitter partisan bickering. That would resemble the childishness already being exhibited by our elected leaders. We should just agree that both parties suck. I do believe that one party sucks more than the other, but I'll just leave it at that for now.

Never underestimate republican's greed!! Thank God for Obama.

[wealth]

Here's is the full Memorandum from undersecretary Kennedy. Could get worse in a month. Too long to post it here, but good for those who work for the gov.

http://findgreat.info/categories/categories/u-s/item/206-us-government-shutdown

[willyumiii]

I prefer to just stick to "All Politicians are scum-sucking bottom feeders".

Politics

Polly = many

Tics = blood sucking parasites Many Blood Sucking Parasites!!

[Jingthing]

The election is over. Someone tell the tea party please!

[SOTIRIOS]

...let's hope it has nothing to do with incoming Comet Ison....

[Publicus]

*Deleted post edited out*

Ed, balls and pounds.

The Confederates in the Congress are at it again.

The civil war continues.

[mochafan]

What was that line spoken to Steve McQueen's character in The Great Escape? - "How are you managing over there with out us?"

Like the UK is always doing so well? All governments, all countries have their share of problems at some time or another.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts, conspiracy theory posts and replies have been deleted.

The thread is about the US gov't shutdown. Not much to do with WWII or Europe.

[charliebru]

This is a trial run; if it works we make it permanent!

[impulse]

The US Govt is worse than a drunk sailor as the sailor stops spending when is is broke, The US just keeps on spending. You would think that the democrats would understand how bad Obamacare will be.

Doesn't matter how bad the Republicrats think it is. Shutting down the government to get their way is no more mature than sitting down on their diapers and screaming until they turn blue.

In fact, I had to check to see if I've been smoking dope when I read that the Repubs were repeating the same behavior that worked so poorly for them in the last round of elections. Hard to believe they're that stupid.....again.

It should also be noted that pretty much every American posting here could afford at least one -and most of them- many round trip tickets to Thailand. Their Our views may not match the views of millions of Americans whose minimum wage employers don't provide health insurance.

[Publicus]

The US Govt is worse than a drunk sailor as the sailor stops spending when is is broke, The US just keeps on spending. You would think that the democrats would understand how bad Obamacare will be.

The post slanders sailors while letting the Confederates in Congress off the hook as they fight a rear guard action of the civil war against the federal government.

I wuz in the army so we spent our time fighting marines in the beer bars of Washington. Never had nothin' against sailors.

There were Confederates back then too, continuously since 1865. There still will be Confederates for a long time yet.

I think a single payer system is more efficient and more effective. But I wouldn't shut down the government to try to get one.

[Pinot]

This isn't about how the US government sucks. The government shutdown is the result of the radicalization of the conservative right. The tea party has taken over the republican asylum. This will be political suicide for the republicans. They should be all be perp walked out of congress for trying to sabotage the government.

California is once again showing the way how a government should operate. First you get rid of the republicans and everything else falls in line. You're able to govern again, something the republicans have long forgotten how to do.

[boomerangutang]

This so-called 'shut-down' doesn't mean much, really. Many many people will still get paid, and many services will still get funded. Here's my educated guess at what will still get paid, in order of priority:

>>> politicians, including the White House (they're not going to turn off the electric to the WH)

>>> security personnel (there are dozens of varied departments)

>>> Military, both active, and pensions for retired.

>>> Social Security

>>> Airport personnel, embassy staff

>>> medical and welfare pay-outs to elderly

Here is my educated guess for what programs will be first in line to get late payments:

>>> day care (kids don't vote, and are considered a lot less important than politicians)

>>> parks service

>>> NPR, NIH, PBS

I hope they don't turn off the cooling units for nuclear rod storage dumps.

Additionally, as soon as a budget gets going, all federally funded employees and services will get back pay, if they missed any during the so-called 'shut down.' No one is going to get scathed in this, except perhaps day-care workers/facilities taking care of children.