The Wall. The Shutdown

[cstone]

I guess I'm a moron. If there's a "shutdown", why are people working and not getting paid? Did someone change the definition of shut down?

If any government shut down, would you or anyone else expect the military to not defend the nation? Some government functions are considered essential and therefore those employees are expected to continue working regardless of whether they will be paid. The unwritten rule that has always been true for the federal government is that when the funding dispute is settled, the employees will be paid. Since the non-essential employees had no choice in whether they were taking a vacation or not, Congress has always paid them as well.

Most if not all shutdowns are partial. Much of the government has been funded, i.e. Congress passed funding legislation and the President signed it. The funding authorization for about 60% of the government ran out on December 21, 2018. Often Congress will pass Continuing Resolutions (to keep the money rolling) for short periods of time and the President will sign them until they can reach an agreement on future funding. Often, parts of the government will go a whole year on a CR just because both houses of Congress can't get a bill they agree on to the President.

This current shutdown is because Congress keeps passing funding without the $5 Billion the President has asked for to fund the Wall. Eventually one side or the other will blink and this too shall pass...till the next faux political drama.

[Gman]

Congress is Constitutionally required to approve an annual budget. They're not holding up to this obligation, nor are they being held accountable. They've figure out they can play these brinkmanship games of shutdowns, put in temporary funding + a whole bunch of pork to get approval of the funding, only to kick the can down the road for a few months.

Our government is a dysfunctional mess and there's no correction in sight.

[cstone]

Congress is Constitutionally required to approve an annual budget. They're not holding up to this obligation, nor are they being held accountable. They've figure out they can play these brinkmanship games of shutdowns, put in temporary funding + a whole bunch of pork to get approval of the funding, only to kick the can down the road for a few months.

Our government is a dysfunctional mess and there's no correction in sight.

Your last sentence is spot on.

To be fair, Congress has approved and sent both funding requests and CRs to President Trump. The problem is that Congress is sending him funding that he has stated that he will not sign. The only power to hold Congress accountable resides with the voters. Sadly, we get the government we deserve. I would rather have the dysfunctional mess that we have in Congress than the very effective legislature they have in Sacramento. The California legislature sent 183 bills to outgoing governor Jerry Brown to sign or veto at the end of their session in September 2018. The people of Colorado will soon find themselves in the same circumstance with a legislature that can pass whatever the progressive left supports and a governor that will be all too happy to sign those issues into law.

The only end I can see to all of this is when they run out of other people's money. When interest rates go up, all governments that borrow will have less money to spend on providing services because more of the money they take in revenue will go toward paying the interest on debt. I often wonder what the FICO score would be for the federal government if it was held to the same credit scrutiny that they hold us to.

[BushMasterBoy]

Can't we just borrow from the Russians ? After all they are the worlds largest country.HAHA

[davsel]

If there is no one at the IRS to send out refunds, then there is no one there to take in statements. I call BS.

[DDT951]

I'm not really concerned with anybody's tax return, I'm working and not being paid until this shit show is settled.

ETA: I shouldn't be insensitive to people needing/wanting their returns, it's just hard to sympathize while I continue to report to work, uncertain of when I'll be compensated.

Dont worry.

Tax Freedom day comes April 19th this year.

Until then, the average person is working without getting any pay. They simply send their money into the government.

[hurley842002]

Dont worry.

Tax Freedom day comes April 19th this year.

Until then, the average person is working without getting any pay. They simply send their money into the government.

Riiiiiigghhtt...

[Irving]

I owe the government WAY more then they owe me. Does this mean I'll get a delay on when I can pay?

[TFOGGER]

I owe the government WAY more then they owe me. Does this mean I'll get a delay on when I can pay?

No. That part of the IRS is considered "essential". Armed thugs stand ready to extort you.

[hollohas]

I owe the government WAY more then they owe me. Does this mean I'll get a delay on when I can pay?

Hahahahahahaha

Hahahahahahahaha