Self-Destruct Aborted

Passing a Debt Ceiling increase in the eleventh hour, the US Congress managed to avert an economic catastrophe with relevantly little damage done.  Given the latest government shutdown and the infamous Sequester, among other drastic measures taken to force our government to address critical issues, it is genuinely surprising that the Legislative Branch actually avoided a Default.  Quite frankly, the entire situation is unsettling.  It truly shows how unresponsive the US government has become.  We should question the ability of the Federal government to address key issues.

Furthermore, we call the measure, which passed the House late Wednesday night, a deal, yet it actually is not.  Ensuring the obligations of the US government are paid is a responsibility of our National leaders.  There is no compromise in doing what both sides of the aisle were supposed to do.  Similarly, it is the responsibility of our legislators to pass a balanced Budget that accurately represents the true costs of governance and the broad interests of the American People.  Obviously, the failure to pass a continuing resolution and the ensuing government shutdown resulted from an inability of Republicans to accept an honest Budget and an unwillingness on behalf of Democrats to embrace the need to balance the Budget.

Now, our Legislators must turn to crafting a Budget Deal that should alleviate the need for Debt Ceiling increases.  Unfortunately, many Republican continue to feel the best option to addressing our Nation’s problems is to force their solutions through and reject the process of compromise.  On the other side, many Democrats, especially President Obama, have already shown a willingness to make concussions to Republicans, yet the political winds suggest Democrats have an upper hand in negotiations.  Consequently, the Left may well be tempted to exploit the vulnerabilities of the Right and demand truly unacceptable concessions to push a far-Left agenda.  This would make willing Republican recoil to hardliner stances.  That said, the leadership and the majorities of both sides might understand they are at a critical moment in history that demands responsible government action.  With the latest fiasco soon fading into a background of ever escalating drama, the American People need to see our government start functioning once again.