We are headed into week three of the government shutdown and unless Republicans can get their priorities straight, troubling times are ahead. If our lawmakers do not increase the debt ceiling by the 17th of this month, some fear disaster will loom. America will have to choose which bills to pay and which to ignore and perhaps this will throw us into another recession.
The last government shutdown happened because parties could not agree on federal spending levels and it lasted from December 1995 until early January 1996. But the state of the nation was different then. The economy was booming; unemployment at that time was around 5.5; compared to a little over 7 percent now. Also, the key figures in the last shutdown and this one got along differently; then President Clinton and House Speaker Gingrich were at least open to negotiations—Obama and Boehner have not fared so well in their relationship. Boehner has flatly said he will not negotiate.
What is interesting here is that Congress has had disputes over the budget before but this battle is not even over issues related to the budget but to health care reform. The House wants Obama’s plan to be defunded but the Democrats are not backing down.
It is disturbing because in most instances America has rallied together in times of trouble. What makes this time different? Has this nation gotten too big for just Washington to be able to handle? What has happened to us as a people that we would risk national and global repercussions because we fail to compromise over ObamaCare???
The average American has not really experienced any backlash from this dysfunction that is going on in Washington now but what will be triggered if both sides do not find common ground will deeply effect many if this gridlock continues.
I believe that as we continue to decline in our traditional and moral values and keep allowing God’s name to be stripped out of many areas of our lives we will start to reap what we have sowed. For some reason this nation continues to declare its independence from the only One who can help us.
