It’s been a rough couple of weeks if you are a government optimist like me. As someone who studies government, and sometimes studies comparative government (other countries’ governments), I am a firm believer in the beauty of what the Framers created so long ago. However the further polarization and inability to compromise has left the nation without an operating bureaucracy. At stake is (among other things) National Security, National Parks and Museums, not to mention the livelihoods of over 181,000 federal workers.
For those of us that are interested in a job with the federal government, this is a major blow, considering we are about to graduate. But where did this come from?
The last time a government shutdown occurred was 17 years ago during the Clinton administration. You might remember what happened when only the interns were allowed to come into work at the White House that time. Both times the government shut down because they were unable to agree on a spending bill.
Congress cannot spend money unless they pass a bill that is approved by both the executive and the legislature; this is a constitutional restraint with an unintended consequence. The argument here, though, was not over approving the spending for government, it was over approving the money for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Congress had a deadline and they didn’t meet it. Being the political science nerd that I am, I stayed up and watched the decision, or non-decision, hoping that by some great miracle, Congress would get their act together and pass the bill. Unfortunately it didn’t happen.
It is easy to look at this issue and blame Republicans. However, this was not an issue of Republicans vs. Democrats; it was Republicans vs. Republicans. Republicans are now starting to realize a massive issue they have in the form of the Tea Party. Their very conservative base is dragging their heels on most issues. They have drawn a line in the sand and are refusing to cross, even at the expense of their party. It is unfair, however, to say it is the entire Republican Party’s fault, and this is where the nation needs to wake up and see what polarization does; blindly following one party and their decisions is damaging. The Democratic Party also drew a line in the sand with the Affordable Care Act. It is a terrible policy that many people in the nation, including me who believes wholeheartedly in Socialized Medicine, do not support. Why? Because it doesn’t do what it is supposed to do. It should relieve the burdens of healthcare because healthcare is too expensive, it instead requires everyone to have healthcare, it doesn’t necessarily make healthcare “free” or affordable. It doesn’t fix the heart of the issue, such as malpractice suits, or the inflated price of medicine and medical treatment. It is expensive to businesses, especially small businesses and will end up being a burden on workers.
There could have been something else done. There could have been compromise and creativity, instead, there were lines drawn into the sand and childish behavior followed by grandstanding. Congress should now take this opportunity to learn from the mistakes they made and try to work together to create policy that works for everyone. This cannot happen again and it is pretty much hitting rock bottom. It’s time to rise to the occasion of the values we stand for.
