Government Shut Down

The United States Government's current fiscal year began on October 1st, 2010.

Last year, as so frequently happens, the Congress failed to pass the necessary appropriations bills before the beginning of the year and, since that time, the government has been operating on a serious of short term Continuing Resolutions. Unless an agreement is reached by midnight today, the government will only have the authority to spend money on non-appropriated items such as entitlements (including Social Security and Medicare), interest on the national debt and other mandatory items.

Of particular note - and an insult to all of us who pay taxes - salaries due to the responsible parties (the President, Members of the House of Representatives and Senators) are a mandatory spending item not subject to Congressional appropriation.

The result will be a partial government shut down: contractors will no longer be paid and employees whose responsibilities do not involve the protection of life or property will be furloughed. Those employees who are considered to be essential, including members of the armed services, will be required to work although there is no assurance that they will actually be paid for their time and effort.

As of now, the difference between the parties is $5 billion which, compared to the projected 2011 deficit of more than $1.3 TRILLION, is trivial. Republicans in the House of Representatives are also insisting on some policy riders, unacceptable to Democrats who control the Senate, relating to regulation of greenhouse gases by the Environmental Administration and abortion.

It is hard to understand why such a small difference regarding spending cuts can not be resolved. Matters of policy, specially those where opposing views are strongly held, should be debated and passed, or not, on their own merits rather than being used to hold critical spending bills hostage. That these issues are a matter of principle for some is one thing but they may wish to consider the old adage that the ends do not justify the means.

In a parliamentary system, legislators are quickly held responsible. Earlier this week, the Portuguese parliament failed to adopt spending cuts proposed by the government. As a result, the Prime Minister announced his resignation and the government fell.

Since our Constitution provides for both the separation of the Executive and Legislative branches and for fixed terms of office, irresponsibility is largely painless - at least in the short term - and the resignation of the government is not an option.

A possible solution is that the President, together with his senior staffers and the Cabinet, as well as all members of the House and Senate should be locked in an empty, unheated, warehouse with no food, water, furniture, or access to a bathroom until they have agreed on a bill to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year.

It would have been better had they been locked up on Monday but, since the damage resulting from a weekend shutdown is serious, but not critical, today would be better than not at all.