U.S. Federal Government officially shuts down!

[colourwheel]

At 12am today The U.S. government shut down leaving over 800,000 government employees furloughed and over a million government employees working without being paid. It's been over 17 years since last time The U.S. government has shutdown over "political Ideology".

 

Courtesy of the Republican Tea Party caucus pressuring legislators in their party (in fear of being primaried by their own caucus ) to hold up the government with a gun while demanding for the Affordable Care Act be delayed and defunded or they would purposely shutdown the government... The Republicans in the house also demanded like a "Christmas list" of things they "wanted" which pretty much sounded exactly like the things Mitt Romney ran on in the last election cycle when he lost to Obama.

 

Now all of a sudden The republican party "wants" to call for a conference committee in debating over a new budget to re-open the government when the senate passed a budget over 6 months ago that the House rejected and refused to call for a conference committee to debate and compromise on.

 

In My strong opinion these people have no right to be in office. They have no strategy and not even a thought out back up plan. The Tea Party has already destroyed the Republican party in America by completely hijacking the leadership and it's now going to be the destruction of America itself. The anger I have for the Tea Party is almost as equivalent as the hate the people have who perpetually try to undermine the legitimacy of Obama himself as president.

 

The government shutting down is totally unnecessary and does not even effect the ACA law or stop it. The only things this has accomplished is stuff like hurting my family, friends, and relatives who are working for the federal government and those who work for non-profit organizations which get government funding help. Also this shutdown is going to cost the American people millions of tax dollars a day till the government re-opens. So for those Tea party advocates who cheered for this shutdown, the officials you cheered for are costing you more tax payer dollars a day because of this situation...

 

Anyways, we all have the Tea Party to thank for screwing the country completely over today just because they couldn't get what they wanted. The real question is "was it worth it?"

Edited October 1, 2013 by colourwheel

[Hardwaremaster]

I'm sure you are aware of this, but there is a difference between a Government Shutdown, and a Government Default. During a Government Shutdown, debt continues to be paid and obligations met. In a Government Default, which we have not yet experienced in the United States, debts are not met and financial obligations are not met. Therefore I have no idea of what you are talking about, when you basically wrote that your extended family was going to suffer for this, which I don't understand how that could actually happen. Depending of your Federal Employment you are more then likely, being paid above the National Minimal Wage, this time you will have to wait for your paycheck.

 

Since Nineteen Seventy Six the Federal Government has been shut down Seventeen Times, and each time Social Security checks were sent out, this would be Eighteenth Government shutdown in United States history. During each shutdown many citizens were inconvenienced, but Social Security checks Medicare and Law Enforcement obligations were continuously honored and maintained. Even in the event of a Governmental Shutdown, Social Security Beneficiaries will still find their checks in their mailboxes, and doctors and hospitals will receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. One reason Americans will get their entitlement checks: A Government Shutdown would not hit the operations of the United States Postal Service. Government agencies that the Treasury Department does not directly fund, like United States Postal Service, would be relatively unaffected in the short term by a shutdown. While some postal employees would very likely face furlough, but, it wouldn't be enough to completely close down the entire agency. There are many others that will continue as well, that are not intrinsically tied to each other.

 

Generally speaking, nobody comes out looking clean when the government shuts down, regardless political affiliations are irrelevant anyway. All bureaucratic coalitions are monotonous, they state whatever the public wants to hear, they are two wings of the same eagle. The functions of government has always been to the beneficiary that helped them into their positions contrary to popular belief. This is situation is all about Medicare a socialist concept for a welfare nation that cannot afford it because of its ridiculously high debt which should tell you a lot about it.

 

This is my way of saying, that this masquerade is absolutely redundant, the government will continue to function.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Hardwaremaster

[colourwheel]

 

I'm sure you are aware of this, but there is a difference between a Government Shutdown, and a Government Default. During a Government Shutdown, debt continues to be paid and obligations met. In a Government Default, which we have not yet experienced in the United States, debts are not met and financial obligations are not met. Therefore I have no idea of what you are talking about, when you basically wrote that your extended family was going to suffer for this, which I don't understand how that could actually happen; depending of your Federal Employment you are more then likely, being paid above the National Minimal Wage.

 

Let me ask you this... You don't think it would hurt you if your employer all of a sudden for no good reason just sent you home for an undisclosed non-paid period of time till they decided to re-open their business? What if all of a sudden your employer required you to work but told you they didn't know when they could pay you again....

 

Calling for a conference committee in debating over a new budget while the government is shutdown could take weeks. Beside the point of that no one even knows who to negotiate with in the Republican party because if you been paying even the slightest attention to the house Boehner doesn't even have control of his own party in the house. Who do the Democrats negotiate with? The Tea Party? Ted Cruz? no one knows who to even talk with in congress on the republican side anymore...

 

If you think the government shutting down is nothing to worry about just imagine how it's going to be if the government is still shut down when the debt ceiling fight comes up in less than a few weeks.... If what has happened recently is any indication to how things will turn out, the up coming debt ceiling fight could be the fall of the country...

Edited October 1, 2013 by colourwheel

[Lisnpuppy]

Here is a generalized article

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/

 

 

Oh and the government is expected to default in mid-October as it's loan money runs dry.

[JimboUK]

Here is a generalized article

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/

 

 

Oh and the government is expected to default in mid-October as it's loan money runs dry.

 

Thanks for the link, this is what the debate should have started with, some facts rather than one sided ranting. Anyway, it's that default people should really worry about, if that happens the budget will have to be balanced overnight, prompting hyperinflation, massive layoffs and serious damage to the global economy. If those of both sides don't grow up pretty quickly the U.S will find itself in the brown stuff and you'll be dragging us all down with you.

[Beriallord]

Everyday lives will go on for the country and most who don't even keep tabs on the news won't even know the government shut down.

[HeyYou]

So who are folks going to blame if the economy goes belly up because the US Government defaulted? The president? The Dems? The Repubbies?? George Will?

 

From most indicators I have seen, it is the repubbies that are going to bear the brunt of the ire. That will basically end them politically. If there is a country left to govern. Should be interesting.

[colourwheel]

Over 70% of the nation is already blaming the entire Republican party for the Shutdown and also well over a majority of the nation blaming the Republican party for government dysfunction. Congressional Republicans in office have just been polled today at a record disapproval with favorability of only 7%...

 

The main reason why Democrats are refusing the republicans request for a conference committee is because for the almost over a year congressional Democrats have requested to do this with Republicans 17 times and each time being completely denied including the request for a conference committee to compromise on a clean straight forward full budget bill the senate passed over 6 months ago..... Now only because they forced the country to shutdown they all of a sudden wish to compromise while they have just damaged the government? That's like waiting to talk to stranger only after you have already beaten them up and braking both their legs then force them listen to your demands of debate... The republicans in office are not even being rational. They themselves would not even remotely conceded to this if the political situation was reversed....

 

I agree with HeyYou. If the Republican party wishes to govern creating crisis after crisis they are not going to be around for much longer if the government even exist after all this is all over and behind. If the Republican party stays around, no matter how they try to gerrymander their controlled districts they have permanently made themselves a minority party nationally for decades today....

Edited October 1, 2013 by colourwheel

[TRoaches]

Over 70% of the nation is already blaming the entire Republican party for the Shutdown and also well over a majority of the nation blaming the Republican party for government dysfunction.

I doubt that you can cite a source for this "over 70%" claim. Maybe, but I doubt it.

 

 

The main reason why Democrats are refusing the republicans request for a conference committee is because for the almost over a year congressional Democrats have requested to do this with Republicans 17 times and each time being completely denied including the request for a conference committee to compromise on a clean straight forward full budget bill the senate passed over 6 months ago.....

 

So they requested it 17 times and were denied. Now that the opposition agrees to the conference committee they no longer want it? This makes no sense....unless the Democrats also wanted the shutdown to occur so that they can use it as a political tool. It is what both sides wanted because it allows them to blame the other side.

 

There are no good guys and bad guys in this scenario. Your one-sided view of this, which places the entire blame on one party and absolves the other of guilt, indicates that you are only listening to one side of the issue and disregarding the other.

Edited October 1, 2013 by TRoaches

[colourwheel]

 

So they requested it 17 times and were denied. Now that the opposition agrees to the conference committee they no longer want it? This makes no sense....unless the Democrats also wanted the shutdown to occur so that they can use it as a political tool. It is what both sides wanted because it allows them to blame the other side.

 

There are no good guys and bad guys in this scenario. Your one-sided view of this, which places the entire blame on one party and absolves the other of guilt, indicates that you are only listening to one side of the issue and disregarding the other.

 

You seem to be confused. The Democrats in congress over the past year have requested a conference committee 17 times over "legislation" in general each time with the Republican party saying "no, we will not compromise or debate on anything." The bill that was past 6 months ago by the Senate was instantly rejected and denied a conference committee. This being said its ironic only now The Republicans request a conference committee to debate a budget only after they have forced a shutdown when the republicans in the house already had a majority of votes to pass a clean resolution for funding government even without sticking ideological demands to the bill....

 

Let me ask you this.... Who did a "fake" filibuster last week urging for a government shutdown if the affordable healthcare act law is not beaten down? Now that Ted Cruz got what he asked for the republican party is trying to put the blame on democrats? Sorry I don't care if you think I am listening to only one side of the issue and disregarding the other. These people are reckless and don't even believe in government, they have no business even being part of the legislative process of government if they are willing to shutdown government over ideology....

Edited October 1, 2013 by colourwheel