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Last summer, as part of the debt-ceiling crisis, Democrats and Republicans agreed to spending levels for the upcoming year, suggesting the budget process would go relatively smoothly in 2012. After all, with the figures already locked in, the most contentious part of the process was already addressed. As far as everyone was concerned, a deal's a deal.
And then GOP officials started whispering that they didn't much like the deal anymore.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters earlier this week, "This wasn't a handshake, it was a law we passed.... I guess [House Republicans] love government shutdowns, or at least the threat of them."
That threat is becoming increasingly real. Reuters reports that House GOP leaders are "ready to break a hard-fought budget deal," in large part because rank-and-file Republicans are insisting upon it. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) are now reportedly seeking a compromise on the compromise, asking Dems to accept an additional $19 billion in cuts, on top of the cuts Democrats already agreed to swallow.
How would congressional Republicans justify reneging on a deal they struck just seven months ago? To hear them tell it, there's room for a semantics debate -- both sides agreed to a $1.047 trillion cap on discretionary spending for fiscal 2013. GOP officials are now arguing that the cap is simply a ceiling, and that there's nothing wrong with pushing a budget that's lower than the agreed-upon maximum.
While I'll gladly give Republicans credit for creativity, the argument is dishonest to a jaw-dropping degree. Greg Sargent set the record straight by reminding us what GOP leaders were saying before they changed their minds.
...Dems and the White House will argue that even Mitch McConnell himself recently acknowledged that what was actually agreed upon were “discretionary spending levels.” Eric Cantor also has described the deal as one that set a “level of spending.”
Get ready for a rerun of a very bad movie. We're hurtling towards another government shutdown fight, in which the House GOP leadership will be dealing with a Tea Party wing that prioritizes shrinking government above all else -- this time, in the lead up to the elections.
That's exactly right. The next question is how serious this situation really is.
The divisions are getting increasingly messy. Democrats want Republicans to honor the bipartisan deal; House Republicans want an additional $116 billion in cuts; the GOP leadership wants rank-and-file members to settle for $19 billion in cuts.
But the Boehner/Cantor request won't work for anyone -- their cuts aren't deep enough for right-wing members, and their willingness to renege on their own compromise guarantees Democratic rejection.
The crisis, at this point, is still on the horizon, and cooler heads may yet prevail. Indeed, given Congress' record-low approval rating, and the severe unpopularity of the Republican Party, it's hard to imagine even the most unhinged GOP members risking their majority in an election year, forcing a government shutdown.
Then again, it was also hard to imagine literally every Republican in Congress last summer agreeing to destroy the economy on purpose unless Democrats accepted significant spending cuts -- but that's exactly what the GOP did during the debt-ceiling fiasco.
I'd bet against a shutdown, but the circumstances at this point are unpredictable. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said last week, "Republicans are playing with fire here." As of this week, they've already lit the match.
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Ah, yes! Another opportunity for Democrats to portray Republicans as craven Teabag sycophants, self-sure of re-election as members of the
KnowDo Nothing Party!How will the Dems squander the moment?
Dems might not squander it. They could get something really big.....
Oh, who am I kidding.
Remind me of the big win on the judicial nominations from yesterday. What was that again? Oh, right...vote on JOBS now and then judicial nominees later.
Well played.
Given that the GOP are liars, welchers and go back on their word, why would Reid think they don't need to have their bill held hostage to get them to do anything?
Where in the oath of office does it say that political self-interest invalidates responsibility to the American people. It is like saying that I don't like Santorum, so I will starve all Catholics.
Canter: "Did you hear that our congressional approval ratings may dip down below 10%?"
Boehner: "I know just the thing to get those numbers down to single digits."
You know, if the guy at McDonalds who makes fries for a living had a job approval rating below 10%, he'd lose his job. The funny part is, that the worst damage he could do, is serve fries that don't taste too good. These guys run our nation.
FTFY
March Madness seems to affect a lot more than college hoops...
Unlike last year, this year all that's on the table is a budget. Given that we haven't had a budget pass Congress for three (or is it four?) years now, the stakes are a lot lower.
Nope D.C. they haven't because the have been TOO busy with abortion laws, and voter laws, and laws against women, anything but IMPORTANT sh*t like budgets, or jobs! Of Course I can still hear Boehner saying that their FIRST priority when elected would be jobs, jobs, jobs. I call BS
This is all because Obama refused to reach out to Republicans. You see, if he would just sit down and negotiate a deal with them, then things like this wouldn't happen.
No, wait.
What kind of a world do these Tea Bagging Republican House members live in that they would renege on a deal and cowardly hold our nation's business for the people hostage?
Punk legislators - rogue fornicators of government for the people - now that's the manifest quality of the Republican Brand! Tea Baggers gotta go! Vote for a Democrat in your home district as you vote to reelect President Obama this November - tell a friend!-Kevo
A very pragmatic one.
Start with the assumption that unlike career politicians, they actually believe what they say: that this is a Holy War against Big Government. That a government shutdown isn't a bug, it's a feature. That a deal today is only worth what you get, because you can always renege later on the "what you give up" part (a lesson learned from the North Vietnamese, by the way.) They don't have to worry about reelection because there are always more like them at home.
It's a ratchet. They took a short-term loss on the debt ceiling in order to get a long-term reduction in spending. Come January, they'll do it again: hold the full faith and credit of the USA hostage for more cuts. And any spending agreements are subject to renegotiation (but only downward) every time a bill comes before the House.
If the Administration and Democratic leadership had the political sense of a badger, every bill to spend money would include a clause increasing the debt ceiling to cover the projected cost, plus some for margin. Most especially the "defense" authorizations.
But that won't happen.
If the Administration and Democratic leadership had the political sense of a badger, every bill to spend money would include a clause increasing the debt ceiling to cover the projected cost, plus some for margin. Most especially the "defense" authorizations.
Instead, they already put into the "deal" legislation a provision that the president can just raise the debt ceiling, with Congress allowed to pass a toothless "resolution of disapproval." While Republicans can renege on the "deal" on spending limits, because Congress can't pass a law binding future Congresses on spending, they can't ignore the debt ceiling process they've put into law.
Seems to me they had more political sense than a badger in this case. Republicans can still shut down the government by refusing to fund it, but they can't risk the full faith and credit of the United States any more.
DC, it's not a "holy war against big government". It's a holy war against our government, big or small, good or bad. It's war against government of, by, and for the people. It's a war against government.
Indeed, that's MY government we're talking about! It's not a war against 'government', it's a war against America.
What is wrong with reducing spending when income is reduced? Don't we all do this in our own households, state and local governments, and companies that we work for?
Oh, yeah we can't print up our own currency.
Can we just rechristen him a REcantor?
I say shut it down.
This is about Republicans energizing the base in the lead up to the election. They want to create an issue about the size of government in the election. Question is what gets cut, is it medicare/medicaid or corporate welfare?. Are we still going to pay Exxon to drill and ADM to make ethanol, or cut services for the poor like head start, or planned parenthood, or Pell grants? This is the chance for the Democrats to stop moving backward and to stand an fight. Take it to the Republicans and make them the defenders of the 1% and the expense of the middle class.
Exactly. This is campaign politics because Republicans know they are in trouble. Pick a fight with Obama and then they can show their constituents they are standing up to the president. But this is not going to work with independent voters.
+1
The problem is that we have a significant number of elected fanatics wandering the halls of congress who are perfectly willing to blow up themselves and the country if it furthers their individual goals.
Perhaps the 9/11 attacks had a more significant effect on the American psyche than we realize. Remember all the GOP nominees raising there hands to agree that they would not accept a $1 dollar tax increase for a $9 spending reduction. Zealots all.
The only thing of value that any politician has is their word, it has been very clear that Mr. Boehner, Mr. McConnell and their colleagues either are unable or unwilling to keep their word. In such a case where you have repeatedly been shown that that those you are dealing with are untrustworthy in a very basic sense, you stop dealing with them. Now if the dumbocrats would behave accordingly they might gain a little respect, but they seem to be content muddling along as the enablers of the Republican misdirection.
Let them show the American people what they are. This time doing the crazy isn't going to work for them.
Congress's job is pretty easy considering that a sensible plan to guide budget discussions already exists; its name is Bowles-Simpson. The plan would increase tax fairness and corporate competitiveness by lowering the marginal rate, removing tax expenditures, and moving to a territorial tax system. http://bit.ly/noTDPF