Government Could Shut Down Again
on Jan 15
by Mike Flynn 4 Jan 2014, 10:37 AM PDT
While members of Congress ended 2013
congratulating themselves for passing a budget, the media missed the fact that
the agreement doesn't actually avoid a government shutdown. The deal reached by
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. Patty Murray
(D-WA) provides simply a blueprint for government spending. Congress must still
pass legislation detailing specific spending before January 15, when
government's spending authority expires. Government still faces a potential
shutdown in a little over a week.
The budget agreement passed by Congress in
the closing days of last year provides what is called the "top-Line"
number, setting the overall level of discretionary spending. Congress still has
to pass appropriations bills authorizing specific spending for thousands of
government agencies, departments and programs. While there is agreement on the
total amount of discretionary spending, there is far less agreement on how this
spending is allocated. These agreements will have to be reached by the 15th, of
the government would shut down again.
There is no expectation that this will
happen, of course. It would a bit embarrassing if, after such loud self-praise
for avoiding a shutdown, Congress allowed it to happen again. Even if there
isn't final agreement on the twelve separate appropriations bills, Congress can
pass another stop-gap spending bill. It is a good reminder, however, of how
quickly Congressmen are to congratulate themselves for even unfinished work. It
is kind of like going to your boss and saying, "I've decided on a plan to
do my job better. Can I have a raise now?"
In addition to final spending bills,
Congress will also want to make another attempt to pass a farm bill. The
current programs have been operated under temporary extensions for over a year.
The farm bill is a bit of a misnomer, as
the overwhelming amount of spending in the bill is for the food stamp program.
While the actual agricultural programs don't spend
as much money, they have more consequences because they greatly distort the
agriculture market.
The budget and farm bill will dominate the
first few weeks of the Congressional calendar. Little else is likely to happen
until after the House GOP retreat and President Obama's State of the Union
address at the end of the month.
So, Congress will begin 2014 finishing the
work it didn't complete in 2013.
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
is a member of the U.S. House of
Representatives, a member of the National
Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, his uncle is Adolph M. Hutter, and was a recipient of "Defender of
the American Dream" award from Americans for Prosperity.
Note: National
Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is a paid for staff by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and the Economic Policy Institute.
Committee
for a Responsible Federal Budget was housed at the New America
Foundation.
Christopher
Hayes was a fellow at the New America Foundation,
and the
Host for MSNBC.
Mike
Barnicle is a political analyst for MSNBC, and his
cardiologist is Adolph M. Hutter.
Adolph
M. Hutter is Mike Barnicle’s cardiologist, and Paul Ryan’s uncle.
Andrew L.
Stern is a member of the National Commission on
Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, was a director at the Economic Policy Institute, and a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the New America
Foundation, the Economic Policy Institute,
the Aspen Institute (think tank), the International Rescue Committee, and People for
the American Way.
George Soros
is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open
Society.
Daniel
R. Glickman is the director, Congressional Program for the Aspen Institute (think tank), and was the secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
James S.
Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute
(think tank), and a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago.
Commercial Club of Chicago, Members Directory
A-Z (Past Research)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Lester Crown
is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago,
and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
David H.
Koch is a trustee at the Aspen Institute
(think tank), the chairman for the Americans
for Prosperity Foundation, and was a donor for Americans
for Prosperity.
Americans
for Prosperity Foundation is an affiliated group with Americans
for Prosperity.
Paul Ryan
was a recipient of "Defender of the American Dream" award from Americans for Prosperity, is a member of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, his
uncle is Adolph M. Hutter, and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Adolph
M. Hutter is Paul Ryan’s uncle, and Mike Barnicle’s cardiologist.
Mike Barnicle’s
cardiologist is Adolph M. Hutter, and is a
political analyst for MSNBC.
Harold E. Ford Jr. is a
political commentator at MSNBC, an
overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference
participant (think tank).
Up Late
With Alec Baldwin was a MSNBC program.
Alec Baldwin
was the host of Up Late With Alec Baldwin, and is
a director at People for the American Way.
Dolores
Huerta is a director at People for the American
Way, and was a co-founder for the United Farm
Workers.
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