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The Real Problem With Funding the Government

April 7, 2011 - by Donny Shaw

After meeting late Wednesday night with House Speaker John Boehner [R, OH-8], Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid [D, NV] took to the floor this morning and said that agreeing on a topline budget number isn’t the thing blocking a deal on preventing a government shutdown Friday night, it’s social policy. “Our differences are no longer over the savings we get on government spending, Reid said. “The only thing holding up an agreement is ideology.”

When the House passed the budget bill, the Republican majority added an unprecedented number of policy riders to it, touching on just about every major political issue you can think of. While budgets always affect social policy, decisions on which programs to cut and which to fund should be made in the regular appropriations process that allows for committee review and public input. Of course, the Democrats failed to complete the appropriations process last year when they controlled Congress, and that’s why we now have to do the budget through a continuing resolution. But that doesn’t justify the Republicans bypassing congressional deliberation and public review now.

For a taste of the policy riders that are currently in the budget bill and preventing the Democrats and Republicans from reaching a deal, I’ve highlighted a dozen or so below. Links go to the actual legislative text of the riders.

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policy riders government shutdown Harry Reid John Boehner abortion Planned Parenthood net neutrality EPA climate change health care
 

Comments

Displaying 31-51 of 51 total comments.

  • hawkeye4u 04/07/2011 8:20pm
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    We need to cut spending. Not just 61 Billion. We need to cut trillions. Everyone is going to get hit for the Debt is so great this is what it is going to take to get us on track to balancing the Budget. This is the Dems mess and now the Repubs. are trying to clean up there mess and they the Dems don’t want to get serious and do some very serious cutting. All they know is to spend. We are taking the blank check from them and they are having a temper tantrim. Dems need to grow up and man up and face this problem that they have made 4 times worse and come with some solid and workable solutions instead of blaming Bush and the Repubs. They had several months to come up with a Budget but declined becasue of the election of 2010. Thats not what they are saying but thats the real reason they did not pass the Budget last year. This is there Conressional Duty under the Congressional law. Wait for the big battle when they have to take on the 2012 Budget. Won’t that be fun.

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  • blairjiannike 04/07/2011 9:13pm
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    majority added an unprecedented number of policy riders to it, touching on just about every major political issue you can think of. While budgets always affect social policy, decisions on which chaussures air max bw programs to cut and which to fund should be made in the regular appropriations process that allows for committee review and public input. Of course, the Democrats failed to complete the appropriations process last year when they controlled Congress, and that’s why we now have to do the budget through a continuing resolution. But that doesn’t justify the Republicans

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  • justoneeagle6 04/08/2011 1:20am
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    I totally agree with luminous above. It just keeps getting tougher for the Battler’s while the rich get richer and continue to fill their pockets. Clearly we’re in a state of uncertainty in this country. It’s basic money principles 101. After the global financial crisis the people don’t have confidence anymore. The government needs to learn that if we don’t have the money, there is no money to spend.

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  • fishin54 04/08/2011 6:16am
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    Has everyone forgotton that we are going thru the worst economic chrisis since the great depression, and that the housing bubble was created buy capitalistic greed, and that we are involved in 2 major military conflicts. This deficit didnt happen since the present administration came to office. Change needs to come to spending yes, but in a thoughtful manner, not just a knee jerk reaction by a select few.

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    fakk2 04/08/2011 7:57am
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    @fishin54,

    It’s funny you say that about the deficit, because it did happen since the present administration came into office.

    [http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/downchart_gs.php?year=2000_2012&view=1&expand=&units=b&fy=fy12&chart=G0-fed&bar=1&stack=0&size=m&title=&state=US&color=c&local=c]

  • mblockhart 04/08/2011 7:33am
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    This isn’t about budgeting, spending or revenue. It’s called “backdoor legislation.” Although the budget is approved by a bill it is not “legislating.” Legislating is where the governing bodies pass a bill that does, undoes or modifies some sort of government function. The reason why Republicons are attempting this backdoor legislating is they know the real legislation won’t pass. They’re too chicken to put their ideas to the test of hearings, debate and voting. They may know that it won’t pass because it’s the wrong thing to do (e.g., cutting EPA regulation). Or, as in the case with PP defunding, the idea has been rejected and they won’t take no for an answer. They don’t believe in democracy. They think they should dictate policy to the rest of government, ignoring the balance of powers in the Constitution. They claim that the mandate of the 2010 election was to cut spending when it actually was not. And these policy riders do not reflect the wishes of the American people.

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    eth111 04/08/2011 4:51pm
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    Anyone who pays attention knows that it is currently impossible to have an honest debate about any legislation, either in the legislatures or in public. Honest civil debate is a lost art in this country replaced by sloganeering, half-truths, and genuflecting.

    The debate that needs to take place, and is attempting to take place, is not about what is right and wrong, but about what is the proper role of government. Planned Parenthood, CPB, Dept. of Ed, all do not qualify as proper functions. The EPA is a tricky one since there are some functions that it should be performing that are proper, but hamstringing corporations is not one of them.

    Democracy, which is an over used term in the current sorry excuse for debate, is nothing more than mob rule. 51% of the people can legally usurp the rights of the other 49% simply because they have control.

  • mochilero 04/08/2011 7:47am
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    Neither party is talking about responsible governance if we include in that the idea that we cannot spend more than is taken in forever. I wish i could have hope for some real improvement, but I don’t. If all senators and house members were elected for one term only, and could never run for public office again – then we might see some real solutions that didn’t involve testing the political winds and catering to this or that constituency.

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  • beach321 04/08/2011 1:41pm
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    hmmm…the Democrats failed to complete the appropriations process last year when they controlled Congress

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  • ebritt 04/09/2011 1:53am
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    H.R. 1 is missing a critical policy rider. The rider that requires reparations from the financial industry that caused the financial crisis and the great recession.

    If B.P. has off shore drilling accident, it is required to pay for the damages it caused. I find it ironic that the Republicans want to slash Medicare and Social Security because the financial crisis has reduced revenue to the government.

    Americans believe in individual responsibility. The Finanical Industry, through reckless and irresponsible behavior, looted American taxpayers and doubled our deficit. An enterprising Congress member needs to draft a bill requiring the financial industry to pay reparations to the American taxpayers for the havoc it has caused.

    Congress is pursuing the wrong agenda. Stop punishing our retirees, the disabled and the unemployed and go after the real culprits. I suggest nameing the bill "The Financial Crisis Reparations Act of 2011. Take away the industry’s tax exemptions.

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    fakk2 04/09/2011 8:24am
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    @ebritt,

    I can’t believe I’m saying this, but do you really think you’re owed reparations from a non-breathing entity? I wouldn’t say a corporation is non-living, but it definitely doesn’t breathe in the same sense that we do.

    Considering that $243B out of $245B has been paid back out of TARP monies (not including interest which amounts to a total $274B that has been paid back), I would say they don’t owe us anything. That’s kinda like a company that makes widgets which has a negative public perception (it’s not doing anything illegal mind you, just bad PR) and saying it would be required to pay people that are not it’s creditors. That doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t owe us just because it has a negative public perception.

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  • JoshuaForPresident 04/10/2011 4:34pm
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    The Republicans have made this a not-too-friendly-democrat Christmas tree bill. Many Democrats will NOT support this bill because of the following:

    It cut funding for the new Health Care bill.

    Blocking the EPA from regulating green house gases.
    As well as blocking the opening internet campaign.

    Those clauses will have little to no Democratic support, which will hinder passing this budget bill.


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