Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Government ‘shutdown’ a result of politics

First, let’s put this hysteria to bed. The government “shutdown” being contemplated is not a shutdown at all. Essential services like the Homeland Security Department (including the Transportation Security Administration), the FBI, the CIA, the Defense Department (military personnel) and many other federal offices will be fully operational and functioning. Thus, the use of such doomsday language is disingenuous at best.

Second, the reason we are in this situation is due to political strategy. The Democratic Party controlled the House, Senate and White House and did not put forth a budget for 2011. In addition, the lame-duck Congress had the same opportunity to put a budget in place but chose, instead, to put in a three-month continuing resolution until March.

Why did the Democrats choose to go the continuing resolution route instead of putting forth a budget for the entire year? To try to place the Republicans in a box after they took the House.

Thus, this situation is solely and completely happening due to the political calculations of the leaders of the Democratic Party. They wanted this fight in the hopes that the public would respond to a potential “shutdown” like the public reacted in 1995.

Thankfully, polling shows that the public is placing the blame equally among the president, Democrats and Republicans. Whatever the outcome of this passion play is, remember who penned the script.

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