I cannot let this continue without a comment. The idiocy that is coming from Washington and the media about this "Government Shutdown" and the budget is ridiculous! Here are some facts:
1) the Congress (specifically the House of Representatives) is required by law to submit a proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year by April of the current year. The key here is "required by law". The Democrats were in charge of the congress for all of 2010. The current fiscal year (2011) started October 1st (don't ask me why, but the Federal fiscal years all run from Oct 1st through Sept 30th). The House (CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS) did NOT submit a suggested budget. Neither the Senate nor the President (both CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS) asked them to do so.
2) in JUNE of 2010 Nancy Pelosi's (the Speaker of House at the time) Chief of Staff said not only had they not submitted a budget, but did not plan to do so (even though it is REQUIRED BY LAW!). When the new year came around, the Democratically controlled Congress passed the first continuing resolution to keep to keep the government running.
3) the House, CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS, in 2010 - passed FOUR continuing resolutions to keep the government going rather than present a budget. The fourth expired in March of this year and the Republican led congress passed another. Since then the House has passed two more.
4) the Republican led House has submitted a proposed budget for FY 2012 - AS REQUIRED BY LAW already.
To blame Republicans for this is idiotic. Are they complicit, YES. They have played along since they took over control of the House in January. However, if you read the above timeline, we are in this mess due to the Democrats not doing their jobs as required by law! The budget should have been in place months before the Republicans took office.
1) the Congress (specifically the House of Representatives) is required by law to submit a proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year by April of the current year. The key here is "required by law". The Democrats were in charge of the congress for all of 2010. The current fiscal year (2011) started October 1st (don't ask me why, but the Federal fiscal years all run from Oct 1st through Sept 30th). The House (CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS) did NOT submit a suggested budget. Neither the Senate nor the President (both CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS) asked them to do so.
2) in JUNE of 2010 Nancy Pelosi's (the Speaker of House at the time) Chief of Staff said not only had they not submitted a budget, but did not plan to do so (even though it is REQUIRED BY LAW!). When the new year came around, the Democratically controlled Congress passed the first continuing resolution to keep to keep the government running.
3) the House, CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS, in 2010 - passed FOUR continuing resolutions to keep the government going rather than present a budget. The fourth expired in March of this year and the Republican led congress passed another. Since then the House has passed two more.
4) the Republican led House has submitted a proposed budget for FY 2012 - AS REQUIRED BY LAW already.
To blame Republicans for this is idiotic. Are they complicit, YES. They have played along since they took over control of the House in January. However, if you read the above timeline, we are in this mess due to the Democrats not doing their jobs as required by law! The budget should have been in place months before the Republicans took office.
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