WN: Senate passes deal on debt and government shutdown, sends it to H

[WorthyNewsBot]

The Senate passed a deal Wednesday night to raise the nation's debt limit and end the 16-day-old partial shutdown of the federal government, inching Congress closer to ending one of the most bitterly partisan and protracted standoffs on Capitol Hill in recent memory.

View the full article

[JDavis]

what do we have to show for the shutting down of the government?

 

According to Standard and Poor it cost the eeconomy$24 billion

 

another economist said it would knock the GDP down by 20% for this quarter.

 

the ACA is untouched

 

the debt limit is raised

 

Spending is at sequester levels

 

Ted Cruz got lots of face time.

 

Can anyone think of anything else?

[GoldenEagle]

Here's some interesting thoughts...

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/17/politics/shutdown-deal/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

Washington (CNN) -- OK, so Congress passed a bill, the President signed it into law and the government's finally back in business.

 

But with all the last-minute press conferencing, speechifying, and endless partisan tweeting, the one thing that wasn't extensively discussed was the actual details of the bill. Since it evolved constantly and was pushed through at the 11th hour, things got a tad confusing.

Here's are the key points you need to know about the bill that saved the government:

 

America can keep spending . . . through January 15

 

This goes down as a 'win' for President Barack Obama and the Democrats. Republicans tried to use the shutdown and the looming debt ceiling deadline to force spending cuts or even dismantle major parts of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. They got neither.

 

"We fought the good fight, we just didn't win," House Speaker John Boehner said on a local radio station.

Now, there's a little more time for both sides to hash out the bigger issues, like entitlement programs and tax reform. But Republicans have been badly bruised and aren't going to want to walk away empty-handed again. So, it's safe to expect them to regroup, get on the same page, and take a hard line the next time around.

 

We run out of cash again . . . on February 7

 

Mark your calendars, because we get to have this fight all over again in a few months. February 7 is the new date the Treasury Department will run out of ways to pay America's bills. This legislation raised the debt ceiling just enough to fund the government for the next few months. The two chambers of Congress will now have to create a spending plan for the 2014 fiscal year. If negotiations break down, we may be in for another round of last-minute debt ceiling shenanigans. But what are the odds of that happening, right?

 

Show them the money . . . for healthcare subsidies

 

This was a win for Republicans, but they aren't exactly doing a group high five. Conservatives had been pushing for insurance marketplaces to confirm the income of those requesting health care subsidies since the Obama Administration scaled back the requirement months ago. It's a pretty small bone to be thrown when you consider their starting point was an effort to totally defund Obamacare. But hey, a (small) win's a (small) win.

 

Furloughed workers WILL be getting back pay

 

In an expected move, Congress agreed to pay back federal workers whose wages were withheld while the government was shut down. Remember the Capitol police officers, some of whom showed up to work out of a sense of duty and put their lives on the line when an erratic driver tore through the streets of DC? They'll finally get paid. Sylvia Burwell, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said furloughed workers should expect to return to work Thursday.

 

Of course, in the midst of battling to keep the U.S. from defaulting, Congress took the time to load the 35-page deal with some choice pork spending. But that's another story.

 

3 reasons not to celebrate the shutdown deal

 

 

1. The bill funds the government until Jan. 15, 2014. So Feb 7, 2014 is the new cliff date. We're kicking the can down the road... Again.

 

2. Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare) participants will have to prove their income.

 

3. Not sure if it really was unexpected as the article suggests but looks like federal workers whose wages were withheld will get back pay on wages. Apparently there is such a thing as a free lunch. Oh wait tax payers are paying for that.

[Guest Butero]

The problem is the way they handled it.  They should not have given back pay to the government employees that were layed off.  They wound up getting a vacation at tax payers expense.  What they should have done is kept the government shut down and called Obama's bluff regarding a default.  We all know that there is enough money coming in from taxes to pay our debt obligations.  If we did have a default, it would have been Obama's fault alone.  Everyone says Republicans would be the ones blamed, but we all know that blame goes to the top.  Obama's approval rating has already dropped below 40 percent, and it would have continued to drop. 

 

This is nothing more than a temporary delay.  We will have a new fight at the beginning of 2014.  The Republicans don't know how to play this game.  They need to be willing to say no to Democrats, and refuse to back down, regardless of the consequences.  Let the chips fall where they may.  Just keep going out there blaming Obama and Reid for the problems as they blame the GOP.  In the meantime, when Democrats put out their phony propaganda polls, the GOP should put their own out.  Heck, use a sample that is completely skewed that makes it appear 60 percent of the nation blames Obama.  Of course, the Democrats will discredit the polls, but so what?  Put out enough of them, and they will cause confusion to the point nobody will believe the liberal polls.  The GOP needs to give the Democrats back everything they dish out, and if there is a crash, so be it.  That is the only way to show we are serious. 

[GoldenEagle]

Oh and bi-partisan harmony on immigration reform? Yeah, probably not gonna happen any time soon. <sigh>

[nebula]

 

Can anyone think of anything else?

 

The President showed himself to act more like a bully than a leader.

[JDavis]

Can anyone think of anything else?

The President showed himself to act more like a bully than a leader.

In what way?

In refusing to give in to threats and ultimatums?

This is one of a few times I have agreed with his actions....had he given in it would have opened the flood gates....what would be next, the Dems shutting down the government till the Repubs gave in on gun control or tax cuts?

[RustyAngeL]

Amen Burteo... It seems like the Republicans are always the ones caving in.  In my opinion we just  need to clean house period.  I'm sick to death of all the name calling.  This president is corrupt, he is doing everything he can to bring America down and take as many people as he can in the process.  But I just keep thinking that in the end, when it's all over and it's all said and done he will answer to God for his lies, tricks and slick moves.  That is enough to make me smile.

[Matthitjah]

 

 

Can anyone think of anything else?

The President showed himself to act more like a bully than a leader.

In what way?

In refusing to give in to threats and ultimatums?

This is one of a few times I have agreed with his actions....had he given in it would have opened the flood gates....what would be next, the Dems shutting down the government till the Repubs gave in on gun control or tax cuts?

 

Perhaps he could call the President of Iran again and negotiate with him rather than the loyal opposition?

[JDavis]

 

 

 

Can anyone think of anything else?

The President showed himself to act more like a bully than a leader.

In what way?

In refusing to give in to threats and ultimatums?

This is one of a few times I have agreed with his actions....had he given in it would have opened the flood gates....what would be next, the Dems shutting down the government till the Repubs gave in on gun control or tax cuts?

 

Perhaps he could call the President of Iran again and negotiate with him rather than the loyal opposition?

 

 

Perhaps the TeaParty could take a lesson from the President of Iran...he did not tell Obama to agree to his terms or he would nuke the country.

 

Threats and ultimatums are not the best way to get people to go negotiate