Another “government shutdown” looms if Democrats’ pet programs are not funded.
“The fact that Republicans need Democrats to vote for a temporary spending measure to avoid a shutdown gives Democrats leverage to force the GOP to abandon plans to attack funding for environmental programs and Planned Parenthood.”
As I see it, Republicans have three alternatives:
1) “Compromise” with the Democrats, which will guarantee big government as usual for the foreseeable future, as the Democrats can employ the same tactics every time the debt ceiling is reached.
2) Dust off the “trillion dollar coin” strategy proposed about five years ago. It appears to be legal, it would not increase the national debt and it would not require additional interest payments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillio...
3) Call their bluff. Trump would have lots of leeway on which government programs get funded and which do not. It would be great fun to see a massive reduction of funding for programs that benefit the Democrats’ core constituencies.
Option 3 would be preferable and option 2 would be an improvement on the current situation. Unfortunately, option 1 is the most likely.
As I see it, Republicans have three alternatives:
1) “Compromise” with the Democrats, which will guarantee big government as usual for the foreseeable future, as the Democrats can employ the same tactics every time the debt ceiling is reached.
2) Dust off the “trillion dollar coin” strategy proposed about five years ago. It appears to be legal, it would not increase the national debt and it would not require additional interest payments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillio...
3) Call their bluff. Trump would have lots of leeway on which government programs get funded and which do not. It would be great fun to see a massive reduction of funding for programs that benefit the Democrats’ core constituencies.
Option 3 would be preferable and option 2 would be an improvement on the current situation. Unfortunately, option 1 is the most likely.
