Weaponizing the Government Shutdown
Yes, I’m weary with it. Most people are numb to it because it doesn’t affect them directly. Government workers hate it, and business persons should be marching in the streets to demand that it stop being used as a political weapon. I’m talking about the now frequent use of the government shutdown as a bludgeon to override democracy. It started in the 70s after passage of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 in response to Nixon impounding funds (refusing to spend) funds appropriated by Congress. The Congress reasserted its control over federal spending after Nixon (and other presidents) had sought greater autonomy over federal spending. What this set up, though, was budget showdowns that pitted the Congress against the White House.
The shutdown-as-weapon started in 1976 under Ford when he vetoed a funding bill for the departments of education and labor that had just been established by splitting the old department. It didn’t last long when Democrats overrode the veto. The next 4 out of 5 shutdowns were over abortion funding under Carter. Reagan was the one who started playing brinksmanship with the shutdown, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal employees, mostly demanding deep spending cuts. He shut down the government eight times, an average of once a year during his terms. HW Bush shut down the government once in 1990 over deficit spending.
Then came Newt. After taking the house and becoming speaker, Gingrich used the shutdown to assert control over the entire government. His shutdowns in November of 1995 and again from December to January of 1996 shattered Americans’ confidence in government and the Republicans. Clinton’s popularity soared, and he cruised to reelection that year. Gingrich was hounded out of the speaker’s office not long after.
Gingrich’s stupidity weighed on the Republicans so heavily that they didn’t dare to shut the government down again until 2013, when Ted Cruz used the shutdown in an attempt to strip healthcare from over 20 million Americans who were finally getting it as a result of the Affordable Care Act. That shutdown lasted 16 days after the Republicans finally caved, but not before costing the US economy an estimated $24 billion dollars. In between these shutdown attempts, Republicans started playing brinksmanship with the debt limit until finally S&P downgraded the US federal debt rating citing the instability of congressional Republicans and their brinksmanship.
Immune to learning anything from history, Trump has stupidly used the government shutdown to please his base of mouth-breathers, who hate everyone not white and every program that might help them. This is the third shutdown in a YEAR, and this time during Christmas because Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh demanded their stupid border wall that won’t work. This one won’t end well for Trump and his merry band of cronies. The Dems take the House on January 3, and will make Trump’s life a living hell, especially after he has blundered into what is likely his largest mistake (among a legion of mistakes) he’s made since infesting the White House in 2017. Pelosi and Schumer are going to use this move to their greatest advantage, and will be happy to just sit there and stare at him until the pressure on him becomes so great that either his head explodes or he caves.
If this shutdown wasn’t so destructive it would be entertaining, but Trump’s stupidity will will cost tens of billions of dollars, thousands of jobs, and will wreck the holidays for millions of Americans. I just hope it hurts more Trumpists than it does normal people.
My late husband worked for the US government through all of those shutdowns. The sum of them all hurt us like hell. Such as debt warrants tacked to the front door so everyone could see them. The allegedly super-rich guy now in the WH should also get one of those damn things tacked to the front door. He is terrified of anyone reading his tax returns to find out what a total charlatan he is financially as well as in all the other ways we have seen. Maybe get a visit from Jacob Marley and 3 spirits this Christmas, even if they have to go all the way down to Mar A Lago to do it!
1Old Newt is still part of this. Check out his op ed in the WaPo today. He has some nerve. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/newt-gingrich-and-donald-graham-fund-the-wall-and-save-the-dreamers/2018/12/22/eb89b756-05f0-11e9-9122-82e98f91ee6f_story.html?utm_term=.de98cb75c597
2Heckuva a team of all the best that Donnie is fielding with Old Newtie and Rudy G headlining the list of has been never was wannabees. They say “it ain’t over until the fat lady sings” … that’s your cue, Roger Stone.
3@El Jefe
RE: “I just hope it hurts more Trumpists than it does normal people.”
I hope you are right, in that the Trumpeteers will crawl back under the rocks from whence they came if Trump hurts them enough. But his misogamy, his utter untruthfulness, and his disregard for the thing that is America hasn’t moved the hard core 30ish percent yet. I hope that some directed pain will help. And even if it doesn’t it may be entertaining to watch.
4Seems to me that the sure-fire way to end shutdown mania, rather than punishing workers (how Republicanite!) an embargo on contractor payments will ensure no shutdown. Otherwise, it’s always punish the little people first. I hate Republicanites.
5Just watch. The Trumpists will still blame the Democrats. They think the Democrats have been in control of Congress all along. Just watch.
6My late father was a career federal employee. I must admit I don’t remember any of those shut downs as I had already left the nest so I didn’t see the effects. I’m betting my dad brought work home during those shut downs, and as he did many “regular” evenings when I was growing up, poring over computer printouts at the kitchen table, his trusty “US Government” ballpoint pens at the ready to make notes. “Dedication” was his middle name, not just to his career but his family.
7One more thing: security lines at airports are already awful per a friend who is a flight attendant and warned people to go extra early. Even though TSA is still working, they’re not getting paid, so I can imagine it might get even worse. My younger son is due to fly home from the east coast a week from today after a four month non-paid internship. I warned him already and hope all goes well. Good luck and safe travels to all who are doing so!
8This morning’s tweet. “I am in the White House, working hard. News reports concerning the Shutdown and Syria are mostly FAKE…”
Rogue white house staff says he’s just sitting with a pile of blank paper in case anyone snaps a photo of him doing nothing except avoid spending time with his family.
9“Government shutdown” doesn’t begin to mention the people this hurts– the janitors who clean the government buildings, the cafeteria workers, the owners and workers of the sandwich shops around the corner, the families who came to DC for the holiday and now all the Smithsonian museums and the Zoo and the Library of Congress and the Capitol and the White House and Mount Vernon are closed to tours (and the people who work there and the people who feed them etc. etc). One small business owner said that last time he was giving away food to the people on furlough because they weren’t getting paid, but it was costing him thousands of dollars a day. Not to mention that a LOT of people around here, including my husband, don’t work for the government; they work for companies that work for the government. So if the contractors are laid off, their pay for the duration of the shutdown may not ever be repaid, as the federal workers’ pay is supposed to be. You owe rent, a mortgage, you need to buy food? Tough! Meanwhile Donnie’s at Mar-a-A**hole eating beautiful chocolate cake.
Can somebody put this unhinged b*****d in a rubber room with some Legos and let him build his own GD wall and let an ADULT run this country?
10Hundreds of thousands of hard-working people are getting shafted and the politicians are leaving town to spend Christmas with their families. No end to the shutdown but the pols are still getting their paychecks. Disgusting!
Many government employees are living paycheck to paycheck. Unless you’ve lived this yourself it’s hard to comprehend the uncertainty and fear that a missed paycheck creates. It’s horrible and the hundreds of thousands of workers in this situation deserve to be treated much better than this! Suddenly these people have NO paycheck because Trump & company want their ridiculous wall and will settle for nothing less. Merry Christmas. . .
What about rational thinking? Compassion? Realistic expectations?
How about this — just do the right thing!
I just can’t understand why the Trumpers don’t get it. If this insanity was hitting them directly and in their wallets, they’d probably still support the Orange Outrage as long as it hurt the progressives/Dems/liberals/decent folks left in the US. Can’t wrap my mind around the cruelty, ugliness, and pettiness of anyone who still supports Trump.
11Correction: The Smithsonian museums are open, at least until Jan 1. Trump’s brain is still permanently closed, although if you hold it up to your ear you can hear the sea.
12Trump’s behavior reminds me of how my mother behaves and she has late onset “little Al”. He is not the picture of health physically or mentally.
13Rhea:
14The next time you talk to that small business owner, please thank him for me.
Rhea, one small tidbit. Mt. Vernon estate is privately owned. It is open every day of the year. Unlike the Smithsonian, you have to pay to visit. At least private ownership has saved one thing around here.
15My wife said even if the shutdown affects his base, he won’t notice. I said he would if it affects the people who rent his hotel rooms and buy his condos. Then I recalled all his bankruptcies and realized that, no, he won’t. Not even then.
How can a human being be so brain dead and still able to breathe, walk, and talk (although that last characteristic can be debated by those with a passing familiarity with the English language).
16Lets demand that the shutdown include Trump’s twitter account and all the White House TV sets.
17“Democracy” = might makes right. Bludgeon that mfer.
18