US Congress activity

[Red Commissar]

I suppose that with the events in Syria media shifted away from the clusterfuck that is congress, but will return in time as the game of chicken over government funding comes to head in a few days.

If you don't know what I'm referring to, basically it's over the "Obamacare" legislation. Republicans have control of the House of Representatives and have pretty frequently passed bills in effect gutting Obamacare, though for obvious reasons this can't pass the senate much less the White House (it is likely for this reason some people polled thought Obamacare had actually been dismantled).

Most recently, this came back to the debt problem. Republicans have made debt a platform issue of theirs, one that their base responds positively too, and have focused on "defunding" Obamacare as front and center of that, alongside the usual attacks on welfare programs deemed to be wasteful and burdensome on the taxpayer. Since the first provisions of the law are to take affect this month, the fervor started picking up steam this Summer, though it was preceded by state-level republican governments refusing Medicaid expansion and participating in the exchange program (common marketplace for insurance).

For the Democrats part, it kind of highlights their issue with wanting to go 100% behind the healthcare reform act. The White House really hasn't run good PR on this, and it obviously disillusioned some of the hopeful progressive types who had hoped for single-payer medicine or some sort of government insurance, but instead got what is in effect a supposedly (more) regulated insurance market that is coupled with an individual mandate to buy insurance as well as a requirement for large employers to provide healthcare (though this was deferred until 2015). In short I think it appears that some Democrats aren't all that crazy about the law, as such those in support seem to be much less energetic in pushing its supposed benefits with media reporting on cost of insurance likely not to be much different if not higher on some projections. The White House defends this though by the logic the law was crafted on- more people pay into the healthcare system, costs will go down in the long run (a form of austerity perhaps?).

For the Republicans, this has provided a good lightning rod to attract some support after losing the past presidential election, which they had felt had a good chance of winning. They are now looking to the 2014 Congressional elections for a repeat of the 2010 cycle (in 2012, they ended up losing a smal
l amount) as well as picking up some senate seats and more governorships.

No formal budget has been passed by the Congress in some years due to the divide between the House and Senate, which has meant every so many months there is usually a stopgap measure passed by Congress to keep the government funded. This has presented another game of chicken for Congress, with House Republicans, spurred on by tea party members, allowing for the government to continue operations but coupling this with a measure to completely strip funding from the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare).

The Senate has already voted on this though they took out the part of the measure taking out the Obamacare funding and kept the routine one about extending government funding. This goes back to the House to approve, where it now falls to the Tea Party Republicans to follow up on their position to defund Obamacare at all costs. A lot of posturing ultimately.

Another development has come over the Farm Bill, which is passed every five years. Usually this is passed without incident- besides the Military-Industrial complex agribusiness is another area that closely collaborates with the government. The farm bill is notably coupled with the SNAP program (food stamps), which takes up the majority of its funding. Republicans chose to target this as an example of excess, but the first attempt failed as some Republicans felt it should have gone further.

Notably they split up the bill into two parts, one on the SNAP program and other strictly for the subsidies. Interestingly, despite their talk about cutting spending, the focus has been entirely on cutting spending on SNAP. Admittedly, while the $40 billion is relatively small to the whole program, it is again worth noting that there are no cuts or changes to the subsidy end that benefits agribusiness (despite their intent, subsidies appear to benefit a small group of already well-off big time farmers). Democrats don't seem to be making much of a fuss over this, yet again IMO this nasty obsession with scapegoating the poor, either from the angle that they're too dependent or lazy (cue anecdotes of people abusing food stamps).

So what do you guys think? All of it probably'll come down to political theater for election ambitions, but in other cases this game will hurt a lot of people.

[Popular Front of Judea]

What I think? I think you have been here long enough to know what the response of Revleft will inevitably be. As for me I have been already denounced for my "reformist" tendencies. I will sit this one out.

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

Obamacare is nowhere NEAR able to meet the needs of the American people, as all it does is give a legal monopoly to the largest health insurance corporations in America. It's a short-sighted solution to a far bigger problem with American healthcare: Namely, that it is entirely in private, for-profit hands!

I'm not talking about this in language of Capitalism vs. Socialism, this is just common human decency. Until we Americans wise up and get Universal, single-payer healthcare like the rest of the Western world, we will always have this problem. In a nation that somehow claims to be the greatest country in the world, it is a goddamn INJUSTICE that anyone is left to starve to death or die out in the streets because they can't afford even the most basic of healthcare.

Honestly, the fact that our government, who somehow claims that we would die without them, doesn't provide the most basic of healthcare to its citizens is something worth shooting over. I've had people from outside the U.S. who have proclaimed their shock that we Americans haven't hung our representatives from lightpoles yet over the issue.

[Red_Banner]

It should be single payer or health insurance should be abolished.

[Red Commissar]

Obamacare is nowhere NEAR able to meet the needs of the American people, as all it does is give a legal monopoly to the largest health insurance corporations in America. It's a short-sighted solution to a far bigger problem with American healthcare: Namely, that it is entirely in private, for-profit hands!

Yup. Funny thing is a lot of the criticism of Obamacare, from the right at least, still treat it like it's going to be a trainwreck because it's handouts or some business (welfare horror), when in reality it's a win for the insurance companies.

I don't really know how the conversation got pushed like this, Obamacare isn't remotely a socialized system that right-wing media subtly implies. What doesn't help though is kind of the roundabout way some supporters of the measure still try to act like they won something out of it.

[MarxSchmarx]

So the ruling class is bickering about how much of their bread crumbs they care to share with the rest of us. This is how they get working people "in line": "look we protected you from those big bad teabaggers, so give us more of your votes/time/money/support." Yeah. Uh huh.

[Red Commissar]

Senator Cruz wrapped up his overnight filibuster of the Senate's consideration of this measure, which lasted some 22 hours. Interestingly, despite the fact that most Senate Republicans were opposed to Obamacare and even some (like Senator Cornyn) signed on to promises to defund it, they criticized Cruz's move as pointless and opposed it.

It was a typical piece of political theater, so I guess Cruz threw something out to the base in order to establish his credibility. Republican leadership was also probably concerned that this'd run too close for them as it would leave too little time for the House to respond to the bill that would be inevitably sent back to the House that would be void of the Obamacare defunding. I wonder, from a political standpoint, which party this game of chicken will hurt the most come 2014 (this'll probably start in the primaries rather than just the general elections).

I was listening to comments from Obama responding to these calls for defunding, and he took a bizarre stance claiming that his opponents are worried that people will actually end up liking the reform once it takes effect and are trying to seize the opportunity to prevent just that from happening. His supporters are eating that up, honestly though from where I'm standing the 'reform' won't be of any benefit to the people it is claiming to serve. If anything for people who think the Democrats are worth tailing, the fact that despite having control of both houses and the White House in the run up to this thing, they ultimately passed this mess in the end instead of what the supporters hoped for. Yes, the party isn't unified and has internal divisions, but this should speak volumes as to the pointless endeavor of thinking Democrats might go to the left with some pressure.

[Red Commissar]

The game of hot potato continued through the week until today, the eve of the shutdown. The House has apparently moved to table any further discussion, which'll mean starting on midnight eastern, we will have the first shutdown of the US government since 1995-1996.

So, "non-essential" parts of the government will be shut down? What falls under that? You can read the following:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/whats-open-whats-closed/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/2013-shutdown-federal-department-impact/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-government-shutdown-will-work/

A lot of workers will be furloughed across departments including those still operating- of the programs that'll for sure be halted is WIC (Women Infants Children) which provides low-cost food to mothers with young children.

[Creative Destruction]

While it is political theater, it's actually pretty goddamn serious. It means 800,000 people will be put out of work. These fucking assholes are playing with people's livelihoods in a blatantly direct way, all because the extreme right-wing in this country can't figure out what Obamacare actually is and isn't.

Fuck this dumb country.

eta. Also, I'm getting tired of the Democrats calling Republicans "anarchists."

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

Aaaaaaand that's it. The American government has officially been shut down.

Nice job, Republicans. I hope you're proud of yourselves.

Ya fucks.

[Geiseric]

Same shit different toilet. They've been scheisting the continent for a while, and will use this whole pile of shit to justify a different pile. If we had some kind of mass party we could point out these kind of things, but alas!

[Doflamingo]

The extreme-right is shooting itself in the foot right now.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Aaaaaaand that's it. The American government has officially been shut down.

Nice job, Republicans. I hope you're proud of yourselves.

Ya fucks.

It's must be pretty embarrasing for the GOP, seeing as how they've lost p. much every fight they've had with Obama over the issue (ie the legislation got passed, the Supreme Court upheld it & Obama won his re-election bid, a bid in which a ton of attention was focused on Obamacare) Now it just seems like their strategy is one of obstruction and I don't think that will be very popular.

[Popular Front of Judea]

With luck we will have a government shutdown and hit the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling will occur sometime between 18 October and 5 November. No money for daily operations and no debt payments.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Debt ceiling one will probably be avoided. Negative impact on the US and world economy will be too great for that to happen, probably

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

"The WIC program, which provides food to 8.9 million low-income women and children, will be out of money, its supporters say."

[Popular Front of Judea]

This is great. About time the tables are turned:

WASHINGTON, United States—The typical signs of state failure aren’t evident on the streets of this sleepy capital city. Beret-wearing colonels have not yet taken to the airwaves to declare martial law. Money-changers are not yet buying stacks of useless greenbacks on the street.
But the pleasant autumn weather disguises a government teetering on the brink. Because, at midnight Monday night, the government of this intensely proud and nationalistic people will shut down, a drastic sign of political dysfunction in this moribund republic.

The capital’s rival clans find themselves at an impasse, unable to agree on a measure that will allow the American state to carry out its most basic functions. While the factions have come close to such a shutdown before, opponents of President Barack Obama’s embattled regime now appear prepared to allow the government to be shuttered over opposition to a controversial plan intended to bring the nation’s health care system in line with international standards.

Six years into his rule, Obama’s position can appear confusing, even contradictory. Though the executive retains control of the country’s powerful intelligence service, capable of the extrajudicial execution of the regime’s opponents half a world away, the president’s efforts to govern domestically have been stymied in the legislature by an extremist rump faction of the main opposition party.

The current rebellion has been led by Sen. Ted Cruz, a young fundamentalist lawmaker from the restive Texas region, known in the past as a hotbed of separatist activity. Activity in the legislature ground to a halt last week for a full day as Cruz insisted on performing a time-honored American demonstration of stamina and self-denial, which involved speaking for 21 hours, quoting liberally from science fiction films and children’s books. The gesture drew wide media attention, though its political purpose was unclear to outsiders.

With hours remaining until the government of the world’s richest nation runs out of money, attention now focuses on longtime opposition leader John Boehner, under pressure from both the regime and the radical elements of his own movement, who may be the only political figure with the standing needed to end the standoff.

While the country’s most recent elections were generally considered to be free and fair (despite threats against international observers), the current crisis has raised questions in the international community about the regime’s ability to govern this complex nation of 300 million people, not to mention its vast stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.

Americans themselves are starting to ask difficult questions as well. As this correspondent’s cab driver put it, while driving down the poorly maintained roads that lead from the airport, “Do these guys have any idea what they’re doing to the country?

If It Happened There ... the Government Shutdown | Slate
(http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/09/30/potential_government_shutdown_how_would_the_u_s_me dia_report_on_it_if_it.html)

[Popular Front of Judea]

"The WIC program, which provides food to 8.9 million low-income women and children, will be out of money, its supporters say."

Starting in November there will be no Section 8 housing subsidy payments. It will be interesting how private landlords are going to handle that ...

[Per Levy]

While it is political theater, it's actually pretty goddamn serious. It means 800,000 people will be put out of work. These fucking assholes are playing with people's livelihoods in a blatantly direct way, all because the extreme right-wing in this country can't figure out what Obamacare actually is and isn't.

well the politicians play with the livelihoods of people everyday, from dronestrikes to cutting benefits.

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

Starting in November there will be no Section 8 housing subsidy payments. It will be interesting how private landlords are going to handle that ...
Yes, it will. Do you think it will last that long? I think it's possible.

[piet11111]

We have seen this play before the republicans make some extreme demands the democrats meet them halfway and the governments economic policy shifts 10 steps to the right once more.

Its the only way the democrats can legitimize such a massive shift to the right and blame the republicans.

[Jimmie Higgins]

The extreme-right is shooting itself in the foot right now.And has been anytime the Republicans actually been able to initiate something themselves since about 2004 or so: social security reform and on.



Now it just seems like their strategy is one of obstruction and I don't think that will be very popular.I'm sort of thinking maybe they are fine with this. They need to appease the base they've cultivated, but they can't do that an have broader support... but they can still take the initiative as a minority anyway because there's no real opposition from below and the Democrats share the same larger goals, so they mearly need to be the sharper edge of the sword.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

Total political theater but they should all have to stand for reelection when this shit happens. Obamacare is one big handout to the insurance companies and a betrayal of a lot of people that fell for Obama's song and dance, so it would be ok if it died. All the liberals I know still think there's a public option hidden in there for some reason.

[Red Commissar]

Total political theater but they should all have to stand for reelection when this shit happens. Obamacare is one big handout to the insurance companies and a betrayal of a lot of people that fell for Obama's song and dance, so it would be ok if it died. All the liberals I know still think there's a public option hidden in there for some reason.

There are elections coming for Congress in 2014, and many Republicans are hoping to secure their flank from any one to the right in any primary challenges by taking a hard stance against anything the White House has done. They're hoping to extend this fight as a way to give them an advantage against a democratic opponent in the general elections- the attempts to ensure the spending bill got stalled in the Senate rather than be in the House was intentional so they can blame it on them.

Even now we see them continuing this- Republicans are presenting some legislation restoring spending to specific areas, most recently one concerning veterans' benefits and programs so they can basically challenge the Democrats to vote against this at their own risk.

I don't know what guarantees they have to think that this won't be a repeat of the 1995-1996 shutdowns where it didn't really do much to help Republicans in elections- after all the mess, Clinton was re-elected and they could not extend their control over the House.

There are some democrats who think this will be more beneficial to them in the long run, indeed there were some indications that some of them had hoped Obama would goad the Republicans into doing this much earlier so that they can try to reverse partially the Republican gains in the 2010 cycle.

We seem to have a more active thread about this now though, so I suggest any users who want to keep talking about this go on over to it:

http://www.revleft.com/vb/u-s-hours-t183636/index.html

[redguarddude]

While food stamps are stopped during shutdown, military pay will be on time. Buying loyalty in case of resistance? There was a large infusion of cash, $5 billion, to military contractors in advance of the shutdown. Civilian workers at military bases won't be paid. Rosa L. got it right when she said "socialism or barbarism."

[Popular Front of Judea]

While food stamps are stopped during shutdown, military pay will be on time. Buying loyalty in case of resistance? There was a large infusion of cash, $5 billion, to military contractors in advance of the shutdown. Civilian workers at military bases won't be paid. Rosa L. got it right when she said "socialism or barbarism."

Fact check before making such claims. It weakens your case. Food stamps (SNAP) will continue to be paid . As will Social Security benefits.

My own personal opinion is that Obama and the D's should schedule a meeting for next Monday and in mean time let the R's stew. If there isn't progress then schedule a meeting one week out again -- and try to divert funds toward the WIC program.

[redguarddude]

Yep. I got Food Stamps program confused with WIC. Sorry about that. From the Huffington Post. Can't provide link due to having less than 25 posts.

"An increasingly likely government shutdown won't affect most of the federal government's safety net, like retirement and health insurance programs, but nutrition support for millions of women and babies could be in trouble.

'The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Saturday that if Congress can't cut a deal to fund government operations past Monday, "No additional federal funds would be available to support the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)’s clinical services, food benefits and administrative costs."

[redguarddude]

What effect is WIC cut off having? One of my Facebook friends posted this:

"I got a call from a gal at the domestic violence I used to work for today. They have eight babies in the shelter and WIC didn't come in today. They don't have formula because their budget has been cut so many times. They are begging for donations. I guess one of the mothers threatened to break the TV because Fox News was on and their 'this isn't hurting anyone' meme was not well received. It's been scary for a while."

[Red_Banner]

The WIC in my state is still intact.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

WIC is for low-income single mothers with young children I believe, so having it cut off is a pretty big deal. It's like food stamps but is more limited to things that young children need like baby formula, milk, juice, etc.

[Red Commissar]

The WIC in my state is still intact.

It'll only be intact through its current funding period. Once it passes that funding period on October with this spending issue not addressed, then it'll be up to states to shoulder the whole cost- and that'll of course be up to the state legislatures, so that in itself will be doubtful that any state will decide to make up for the shortfall. Consult the USDA document on this

http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-fns-shutdown-plan.pdf


USDA is working with WIC State agencies to use all available funding resources to provide benefits to participants.

FNS will be allocating both contingency and carryover funds to State agencies for use in operating their FY 2014 WIC Program, in addition to other available funds.

Should a lapse extend through late October, federal WIC funding may not be sufficient to cover benefits.