USA Federal shutdown. What's happening?

[alhoon]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_government_shutdown

According to what I got from the article:
Republicans and Democrats can't agree on the budget so soon the "government's spending authority" will expire. That means the federal goverment won't be able to pay money. It won't have the authority to spend money.



Can someone explain to me why is this happening and why it happens once a while?

Why there is some thing as "government's spending authority" that expires so that goverment can't pay money? Is that a measure to stop... what exactly? Why would anyone want the goverment's authority to spend money to be something that expires and has to be renewed? Sounds too partisan to me.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Republicans: We want to cut 60 Billion dollars.
Democrats: Were only willing to cut 30 Billion.
Republicans: Fine how about 1 trillion?
Tea Party: CUT CUT CUT.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/finan.../D9ME92UG0.htm

The Environmental Protection Agency would cease issuing permits and stop reviewing environmental impact statements which will slow approval of projects.

-- Military personnel would not get paid beyond Friday, but would continue to earn money that would be paid to them once the government resumes.

-- National parks would be closed.

-- Most government websites would not be updated, unless they were deemed essential

[Menelik_I]

Can someone explain to me why is this happening and why it happens once a while?

This time It is because the Democrats failed to pass a budget in the last congressional sessions when they had white house, congress and senate.

now they can't agree what to cut because there is no more money ... and china don't want to lend more.

Why there is some thing as "government's spending authority" that expires so that goverment can't pay money? Is that a measure to stop... what exactly? Why would anyone want the goverment's authority to spend money to be something that expires and has to be renewed? Sounds too partisan to me.

Not putting the spending on autopilot enables the voters to have control over the spending and policies.

@Mathias :

China : Spend spend spend spend ... but we won't lend you a penny

[alhoon]

Not putting the spending on autopilot enables the voters to have control over the spending and policies.

Yes, but the voters already do that with changing goverment every election. How are the USA people feel about the prospect of goverment shutting down payments for 20 days just because Republicans and democrats play cat and mouse?

[Captain Jin]

Yay and I'm expected to come to work whether I get paid or not! Woooooo

[Menelik_I]

Yes, but the voters already do that with changing goverment every election. How are the USA people feel about the prospect of goverment shutting down payments for 20 days just because Republicans and democrats play cat and mouse?

If the spending is put in auto-pilot then it doesn't matter which bastard you put in, the policy=spending, won't change.

20 days is not the end of the world, vote the bastards out next time

[Farnan]

Me too Captain. And so are the soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and the Philippines...

Why there is some thing as "government's spending authority" that expires so that goverment can't pay money? Is that a measure to stop... what exactly? Why would anyone want the goverment's authority to spend money to be something that expires and has to be renewed? Sounds too partisan to me.

Anyone who favors democracy. If the government can spend what it wants than Congress (or any legislative body) has little power.

Menelik: 20 days is the end of the world for some young privates, seamen and airmen who are still expected to pay their bills without being paid.

[MathiasOfAthens]

@Mathias :

China : Spend spend spend spend ... but we won't lend you a penny

They also have one of the fastest growing economies and a fully functioning HSR system built last year.


What about the Tourists who happen to be flying over this week or next and will only find closed Museums?

[Menelik_I]

They also have one of the fastest growing economies and a fully functioning HSR system built last year.

You mean china ? Well of course, I just don't think the Chinese are willing to lend more money to the US.

Now the borrowing is near $2 TRILLIONS.

ETA:

I don't think the museums can pay for the $215,581,249,409.94 interest on the US debt.

[Farnan]

What about the Tourists who happen to be flying over this week or next and will only find closed Museums?

Who gives a flying about them compared to people who will have real problems because of this.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Not when the Republicans keep attacking them.

I also dont see any reason why they wouldnt keep lending to us. Its the tea party that wants us to quit borrowing. "Stop borrowing from China, your just going to grow their economy".


lmao farnan. People work in the Museums. Less Tourism = less commerce near Museums in major cities like DC and Boston.

[Thorn777]

The US needs federal "emergency managers". Well not federal. KPMG guys wearing Ray-Bans that work on the federal level.

[Captain Jin]

McCain said he was going to try and introduce a bill that would continue to pay the DoD even if a budget wasn't agreed upon. He said it was grossly irresponsible for congress not to pay the military when we are engaged in two wars (and countless smaller actions from West Africa, North Africa, East Africa and SE Asia). True enough. In 95 when the gov. shut down the military still got paid.

[motiv-8]

Who gives a flying about them compared to people who will have real problems because of this.

Seriously. This issue has a HUGE trickle down effect on people who rely both directly and indirectly rely on federal programs and offices to run. It kills small businesses who operate around, for example, national parks and monuments and rely on the tourists and sight-seers who come.

[Farnan]

McCain said he was going to try and introduce a bill that would continue to pay the DoD even if a budget wasn't agreed upon. He said it was grossly irresponsible for congress not to pay the military when we are engaged in two wars (and countless smaller actions from West Africa, North Africa, East Africa and SE Asia). True enough. In 95 when the gov. shut down the military still got paid.

I pray that bill gets passed. I have soldiers with very small bank accounts and very big bills. Yes they should plan better, but that doesn't mean they should get ed because they aren't being paid for weeks.

[Menelik_I]

I also dont see any reason why they wouldnt keep lending to us. Its the tea party that wants us to quit borrowing.

Really ?

US economy is $14 Trillions, borrowing $2 trillions per years ... are the Chinese going to still have the money ?

"Stop borrowing from China, your just going to grow their economy".

This argument can't be really ... can you source this one, it is just plain moronic.

[Captain Jin]

It's got a large impact overseas as well. Every State department facility will now have to have people accepted or not accepted at each overseas posts while this is going on which means lots of foreign service nationals working at American embassies abroad won't be getting paid either. It's got some far reaching consequences for sure. Stupid f'ing congress will still be rich though.

I pray that bill gets passed. I have soldiers with very small bank accounts and very big bills. Yes they should plan better, but that doesn't mean they should get ed because they aren't being paid for weeks.

We have something called the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society for that sort of thing. Maybe the Army has something similar that you can direct them to? I know I'd be pretty screwed if this happened to me back when I was a PFC or Lcpl.

[MathiasOfAthens]

There was something floating around that if government shuts down congress members wouldnt get paid either... apparently though the house didnt think that was right so they voted to keep getting paid while others suffer.

[Captain Jin]

There was something floating around that if government shuts down congress members wouldnt get paid either... apparently though the house didnt think that was right so they voted to keep getting paid while others suffer.

Even if they didn't get paid most of them are rich as hell from lobbyists contributions. Harry Reid is an excellent example. The guy is like a damn millionaire and he's from f'ing Searchlight Nevada. Dude, people in Nevada never even heard of Searchlight...

[motiv-8]

The thing that I find most distressing about this impending event is, if the government can't manage to keep itself operating over a dispute over $30 billion, how the HELL are they going to solve the actually tough problems like longterm sustainability in SS, Medicare, defense, energy, and education? All this tells me is that, we are so ed.