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The road to Gov. shutdown in a nutshell

Faster horses

Well-known member
Road To

Government Shutdown
-Denny Rehberg

Today, our national government moved closer to a shutdown. It has taken us years to get this far off track and despite doing everything in my power to reduce the deficit and avoid a government shutdown, our system of government simply cannot operate if the Senate and White House refuse to come to the table.

Unfortunately, some politicians will use this shutdown as an excuse to get on TV and point fingers. Not me. I'm going to keep working hard for you exactly like I always have. I'm going to work to get things back on track in Washington so our kids and grandkids are free from the crushing burden of debt and taxes.

But you deserve to know the truth. There's going to be a lot of spin, and finger pointing. So let's set the record straight once and for all.

Here's how we got here

February 12, 2010 - Democrats Raise the Federal Debt Ceiling (Again)

For the record sixth time since taking power in January 2007, Congressional Democrats voted to increase the federal debt ceiling to support their budget-busting big government agenda. At this point, they had already passed bailouts for Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Goldman Sachs, AIG, General Motors Corporation and Chrysler, Bank of America, and a massive failed Stimulus. Congress was still working on Obamacare.

Spring 2010 - Congressional Democrats Fail to Pass A Budget

Each year, Congress is supposed to pass a budget. But last spring, with record debts and deficits and a big-government agenda, neither Nancy Pelosi's House of Representatives or Harry Reid's Senate passed a federal budget. It was the first time Congress punted on this most basic of responsibilities since the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Read about it in The Hill.

September 30, 2010 - Fiscal Year Ends, No Spending Bills Have Passed. Congress Passes First Continuing Resolution

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees oversee twelve separate spending bills to fund various government activities. There's one for defense, one for transportation and so on. These bills need to be done by October 1, which is when the new fiscal year starts. Last year, Nancy Pelosi's House of Representatives or Harry Reid's Senate couldn't pass a single one of the twelve bills. Instead, they passed a temporary "Continuing Resolution" to kick the can down the road until after the election. The first CR funds the government through December 3.

November 2, 2010 - Americans Vote Pelosi Out

The American people elected a new majority in the House. Speaker Pelosi begins the Congressional Lame Duck.

December 4, 2010 - Congress Passes Second Continuing Resolution

Funds the federal government through December 18.

December 18, 2010 - Congress Passes Third Continuing Resolution

Funds the federal government through December 21.

December 22, 2010 - Congress Passes Fourth Continuing Resolution

Funds the federal government through March 4.

January 5, 2011 - The New House Majority is Sworn In; Pelosi Transfers Gavel to Boehner

House Republicans immediately begin working on the unfinished business from the previous Congress to avoid a government shutdown. I spoke about the importance of balancing the budget

February 19, 2011 - House Passes Bill to Fund Government, Prevent Shutdown

After hours and hours of public debate, hundreds of amendments and an open process, the House passes H.R. 1 to fund the federal government for the remainder of the year and prevent a government shutdown. It saves $100 billion compared with the President's proposal. I spoke in favor of reduced spending on the House floor. The Senate has nearly two weeks to act before the Continuing Resolution expires.

February 21-25, 2011 - The Senate Goes on Vacation

With a government shutdown looming and two weeks left to act, the Senate sends members on vacation for a week. They return with only nine days to craft and pass an alternative spending bill to begin the process of negotiating. They choose not to do so.

March 2, 2011 - Congress Passes Fifth Continuing Resolution

Funds the government through March 18. The House includes $4 billion in spending reductions, which some Senators claim credit for. I spoke on the House floor, comparing the vote to "Groundhog Day" and urging the Senate to act.

March 9, 2011 - The Senate Fails to Pass Two Bills to Prevent a Shutdown

The Senate, concerned that it cuts too much spending, fails to pass H.R. 1. They then fail to pass their own alternative spending bill which reduces spending by only $4.7 billion. It also fails. I encouraged the Senate to pass a bill.

March 18, 2011 Congress Passes Sixth Continuing Resolution

Funds the government through April 8. The House includes $6 billion in spending reductions, which some Senators claim credit for.

April 9, 2011 Time Runs Out - The Senate Still Hasn't Passed a Bill. Any Bill.

More than six months after the funding bills were originally due, and 49 days after the House passed H.R. 1, the Senate's inaction finally lead to a full government shutdown.
 

Tam

Well-known member
Short version if the Dems had concentrated on passing a budget when they controled the government verses paying back their campaign donors with hugh spending bills the taxpayers could not afford, they would not be facing this continued mess. The Dems have refuse to recognize the clear message of STOP THE OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING the voters sent to them with the Historical loses in Nov. and that is why government has faced repeated threats of shut down ever since.

They can try blame the Republicans all they want but it was their's and Obama's failures to do their jobs that has caused this mess PURE AND SIMPLE.
 

Tam

Well-known member
Lonecowboy said:
Falling feels like Flying---- at least for a little while

right up till the end!

Well let's just hope it takes the Dems about 60 years to pick themselves up dust themselves off and take flight again. Maybe by then the US will be seen as the Proud Super Power they once were and not the apologetic bankrupted weak kneed nation Obama and the Dems have turned it into in just two short years.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Tam said:
Lonecowboy said:
Falling feels like Flying---- at least for a little while

right up till the end!

Well let's just hope it takes the Dems about 60 years to pick themselves up dust themselves off and take flight again. Maybe by then the US will be seen as the Proud Super Power they once were and not the apologetic bankrupted weak kneed nation Obama and the Dems have turned it into in just two short years.

What the Dems. need to do is get back to being moderate liberals, instead of radical marxists, IMO.

They like to call conservatives "radicals" or "extreme", in an attempt to shift ideologies left. And it has worked to a certain degree. But people are realizing that it is actually the liberals who have shifted further left and become the "radicals"

It's throwing things off kilter and is resulting in instability in everything from economics to social issues and because of Globilization, it is not just a local issue or concern. Being a Global issue, it is harder to control and manage, once it has comenced
 
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