The government funding battle is still an issue despite averting a government shutdown. Political psychologist Dr. Bart Rossi, Ph.D. joins Wink New (ABC Florida) to discuss this, internal democrat fissures, and the postal service.
Happy Friday! We averted a government shutdown, which is good news. The 2018-2019 government shutdown during the Trump administration, was the longest in United States history. It caused chaos among federal workers and the economy at large.
But that doesn’t mean everything is rainbows and puppy dogs. All that President Biden and Congress were able to do was to extend the status quo until early Dec. At the heart of the battle is the Debt Ceiling. If you’ve been following the news. CNBC posted this:
The House on Wednesday passed a bill to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling as the country barrels toward a first-ever default with no clear solution in sight.
Anyone who follows politics understands that the GOP blocked all efforts around the Debt Ceiling so that either they fan claim fiscal irresponsibility if the Democrats find a way to raise the debt ceiling on their own, or failing to govern if they don’t.
Many in America don’t actually understand what the debt ceiling is. making the rhetoric ever more divisive.
Regarding the current crisis, the New York Times points out everything you need to know about the debt ceiling and noted that:
Democrats insist that it be done on a bipartisan basis, reflecting the fact that both parties have incurred big debts over the last several years. Republicans, who voted for debt limit suspensions when President Donald J. Trump was in office, now say that there’s no need for them to help because Democrats control all the levers of power in Washington and they are preparing to push through trillions of dollars in new spending on their own.
Government Funding Battle
Once voters understand it beyond the catchphrases each party promotes, then their opinions would be far more valuable.
Democrats have more than just this to juggle, however. They also have internal fractures between their ranks regarding the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill, which includes funding for preschool, family leave, climate change, and much more. To pass the reconciliation bill the democrats would need EVRY Democratic senator in unison. As of now, it seems to be Democrat senators Joe Manchin and Kryten Sinema on one side, and every other Democrat on the other. The GOP is no doubt gleeful since they can’t stop passage if all Democrats vote yes as a block.
Speaker Pelosi has also angered the Democrat progressive caucus, with plans to bring the $1 trillion infrastructure bill to the floor, without passage of Build Back Better bill passing the Senate, in an apparent abut face of her pledge earlier this year. This leaves everything in flux.
The progressives seem determined to block the former, without passage of the second. What happens next is anyone’s guess. Senator Bernie Sanders is a supporter of the infrastructure bill — but insists that if they pass that, what he considers more important, Build Back Better, would be dead. And his question to those that oppose it is ‘What do you want to cut?” What is in the Build Back Better bill?
Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy announced new changes to Postal Service, which indicates that service may slow down, and potentially be more costly.
IN THIS EPISODE
Wink News (ABC Florida affiliate) speaks with Dr. Bart Rossi about all these issues.
