It is time that congressional leaders put an end to this impasse. We need more than just an end, however; we need a real resolution.
Offers from House Republicans to cut a deal that postpones our default rather than dealing with it now are unacceptable. Failure to pay the nation's financial obligations could result in catastrophic economic consequences, and it is time that Congress put aside partisan politics for the sake of doing what's best for the country.
On Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) began bipartisan talks in an effort to end this shutdown and avoid default. Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) offer on Thursday to temporarily raise the debt ceiling without reopening the government is not substantial enough.
The American people deserve more; we deserve a functional federal government - one in which members of opposite parties are willing to come together to prevent disaster, one in which we aren't constantly inundated with one manufactured crisis after another.
The allowing of across-the-board spending cuts (known as sequestration) was already an insult to the American public - a stark example of how partisanship outweighs pragmatism in Washington. The government shutdown reinforced that notion. But to let this nation enter default - which would risk letting the market collapse - would demonstrate a whole new level of irresponsibility.
A default would completely rattle the global bond market, it would cause interest rates to skyrocket and it would very likely cause another recession. Speaker Boehner recognizes the severity of this and he maintains that his offer to provide a six-week delay is an example of his willingness to compromise, but it ironically reveals the opposite.
It shows what an awful hole he has dug himself into (by giving in to the extremists in his own party) and how dangerous the political climate is - the speaker of the House considers it a compromise to delay raising the debt ceiling in order to avoid descending into another recession.
It is a bleak and profound look at how Washington operates at the moment.
It is perfectly obvious that the debt ceiling must be raised before Oct. 17, when the U.S. government is scheduled to run out of money. But to delay really dealing with this now just means we will be facing the same exact disaster again before Thanksgiving. And if recent history were any indicator of what we could expect to happen during that fiasco, there won't be much that we could feel grateful of in November.
What we need now is for House Republicans to exercise some reason and raise the debt ceiling and pass a clean continuing resolution to end this shutdown that is hurting our federal workers and the rest of the country.
With disaster looming, Republicans have seemed to drop their demand that requires President Obama eviscerate his health care law in order to reopen government. They are now only asking for minor provisions to be amended - which are still offers that should not be entertained.
But now the issue has shifted to federal spending where Republicans still want to use this shutdown and this threat of default as a weapon to extort more cuts without adding any increases in revenue.
We believe compromise does go both ways, and it is likely Democrats will have to give up something in order to end this stalemate to move forward, but they must not allow Republicans to push forward a budget that leaves the American people too thin for themselves.
Many states are now on the cusp of losing federal aid for nutrition aid to those living in poverty. Michigan, for example, is about to close several of its programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, food stamps and school lunches, according to The New York Times.
Sen. McConnnell's proposal on Saturday to raise the federal debt limit until Jan. 31 was properly rejected by Senate Democrats. And Democrats are right to attempt to address the sequester as part of any negotiations. And as they have properly noted, these talks should not begin until after the government reopens.
Sequestration reduces spending by over $70 billion more than congressional Democrats deem acceptable; these drastic cuts are harmful to our economy and to American workers. The damage of these cuts takes effect in increments and the longer we allow them to remain in place, the more harshly they will impact Americans.
Any new budget deal must confront these sweeping cuts as a way to move the nation forward. Even Senate Republicans have suggested they are tired of the House's overreaching strategy and would like to see a plan that ends this government shutdown and raises the debt ceiling.
There is no more time to wallow in our current state of dysfunction. It is time a resolution is passed that does both of these things. And it must happen before serious negotiations take place. The American people should not be held hostage to Congress' inability to work together.
They should end this crisis now and then begin negotiating a budget.
email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
