'Internal GOP Feud' Driving the United States Toward Another #GOPshutdown
- Washington Post – Congress inching ever closer toward government shutdown
This year's dynamics are driven by an internal GOP feud in the House…
At least 31 of the most conservative House members have signed a letter vowing to block any spending bill that includes funding for Planned Parenthood.
The same Republicans who campaigned on doing away with legislative crises are careening toward government shutdown in less than two weeks with still no concrete plan to stop it.
Twelve days remain until the government runs out of money, but the House and Senate are scheduled to be in session for just a fraction of that time.
Asked…when his colleagues would get a glimpse at his bill to fund the government, Boehner said, "At some point."
Time is running out. Newspaper editorials across the country are sounding the alarm, calling on Speaker Boehner and House Republicans to stop wasting precious taxpayer dollars threatening another #GOPshutdown and urging them to end their obstruction, distraction and dysfunction:
- Los Angeles Times Editorial – GOP, spare us another foolish government shutdown
A mere two years after futilely shutting down much of the federal government in a doomed-from-the-start effort to "defund Obamacare," congressional Republicans appear determined to force another shutdown in a doomed-from-the-start effort to "defund Planned Parenthood."
…the GOP's tea party wing continues to agitate for more confrontation
…[the shutdown]…would not only hurt the thousands of federal workers and contractors who'd receive no pay; it would deny constituents all "nonessential" services, such as housing subsidies, small-business loans and environmental reviews of construction projects. And worse, it would hit the brakes on the U.S. economy and rattle global markets.
- Avalanche-Journal Editorial (Texas) – Stop making demands, and avoid having a government shutdown
Making demands and issuing threats about consequences if the demands aren't met is no way for leaders to operate. It sounds more like schoolyard bullying than conducting the business of government.
The same thing happened two years ago when a Republican group of legislators took aim at the Affordable Care Act. They didn't get what they wanted, and a partial shutdown of government occurred.
Regarding legislation to fund government agencies, lawmakers need to pass it and keep the government operating. And don't wait until the last moment on Sept. 30.
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial – Republicans once again paint themselves into a no-win corner
The Republican Party is in a quandary. Congressional conservatives are threatening to shut down the federal government rather than allow funding for Planned Parenthood to continue.
The GOP has precious few days left to marshal its members into a reasonable alliance for continued government funding.
- Sacramento Bee Editorial – Another year, another shutdown
…Republicans who control Congress have skirmished with themselves over whether to hold yet another budget deal hostage, disrupting lives and threatening the U.S. economy.
Enough beating on the Planned Parenthood piñata, and enough with the theatrics. Congress should fund the government and focus on people's business.
Congressional Republicans just don't get it. Americans don't want another #GOPshutdown. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen just yesterday warned of the steep economic cost Republicans' brinkmanship, noting that it "would endanger…progress" our nation has made. [9/17].
House Democrats will not stand for that. That's why we are urging Speaker Boehner to keep the House of Representatives in session until Congress passes a funding bill. As we wrote: "The 16 day government shutdown of 2013 cost the U.S. economy $24 billion and reduced 4th quarter GDP growth by 0.6 [percent]…We simply cannot allow this failure to happen again."