The Congress Needs to Stop the Budget Gamesmanship

The House of Representatives unveiled a budget, with a continuing resolution (CR), to September 30. The Senate will take up the bill on Monday and after it goes through the resolution process to resolve the differences, it will be voted on. Then, if passed, it will go to the President for signature.

 

If he doesn’t get to sign it by midnight on Friday, the government will be forced to shut down. President Trump has indicated thar he will sign it.

“All Republicans should vote (Please!) YES next week,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday. 

In its present form, the bill will hold non-defense spending to current levels, while slightly increasing defense.

House Republicans’ leadership staff outlined the measure Saturday, saying it would allow for about $892.5bn in defense spending and about $708bn in non-defense spending. The defense spending is slightly above the prior year’s level, but the non-defense comes in at about 8% below.

Most lawmakers are not fans of CR’s, but no one wants to be blamed for shutting down the government. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid would not be impacted by a shutdown.

It seems both parties play this game like the game of chicken in order to see who will blink first. And it is becoming tiresome and mundane. They need to grow up and be adults.

We just went through this in December, when they actually caused a partial shutdown for several hours.

It is time for both parties in both Houses of Congress to grow up and get a budget passed on time, before September 30. It is why you are elected.

Do your job and stop with the gamesmanship.