Government Shutdown Now Likely...

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It's looking more and more like a government shutdown may be imminent. As usual there are the defense-vs-domestic funding differences with republicans heavy on defense light on domestic and democrats heavy on both. Of course the administration is threatening veto if certain conditions are not met to their satisfaction. It is likely the stage will be set by the players of the game so finger pointing and innuendo can and will be a part of the process.

All that aside the big issue that was needed to galvanize forces on both sides of the aisle so that the a government shut down became a greater likelihood than not surfaced recently and is summarized below.

Republicans are vowing with ever-increasing vehemence to vote against legislation – including a CR — that includes funding for Planned Parenthood and that means that a continuing resolution that simply extends existing funding at current levels won’t be acceptable to the GOP majorities in the House and Senate. The House and Senate Republican leadership could cobble together a coalition with the moderate members of their own caucus and Democrats, but they would do so by placing themselves and their members in extreme political peril.

This will be more of a problem in the Senate where the four senators running for the GOP presidential nomination will likely fight each other to lead the filibuster that prevents a CR that funds Planned Parenthood from being debated. Given the very little time left before the start of the fiscal year, that filibuster alone could lead to at least a quick shutdown (Fiscal 2016 starts on a Thursday so a short-term shutdown over the two days leading to the weekend plus Saturday and Sunday is certainly possible).

So once again we find the republican party out of step with mainstream America and using a politically charge issue to hold the budget process hostage unless it gets its own way. Of course on the other side democrats, who are more in step with mainstream America are prepared to filibuster in the senate and bill that defends Planned Parenthood.

It's all political drama folks and in the end, after the red meat has been tossed out and duly consumed by the base, a compromise will be struck, the government will be funded, and life will go on. Of course the three ring circus that is the republican presidential field will continue to be the spotlight of American attention.

Read the full report at Forbes.

Via: Memeorandum