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| Government Shutdown |
The process of shutting down the federal government is underway.
With the clock ticking towards Friday’s federal budget deadline and President Obamahosting congressional leaders for budget talks at the White House on Tuesday, top administration officials have instructed agency officials to begin sharing details of shutdown contingency plans with top managers. This marks the next step toward bothcurtailing government operations if a budget impasse occurs and informing federal workers whether they are considered “essential” personnel who would stay on the job despite a shutdown.
Though Obama and congressional leaders remain committed to avoiding a shutdown, “given the realities of the calendar, good management requires that we continue contingency planning for an orderly shutdown should the negotiations not be completed by” Friday at midnight, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Jeffrey Zients said in a memo. The message was sent to the government’s deputy secretaries and chiefs of staff, who handle day-to-day management issues for agencies and departments.
OMB confirmed the authenticity of the memo, which was obtained from a senior government official who provided it on condition of anonymity.
OMB — which is reviewing each agency’s shutdown plans — is still reviewing the contingency plans, and Zients encouraged officials to keep tweaking them as necessary. Senior political leaders at each agency should also start speaking with senior career managers “to ensure you have their feedback and input on plans to date.”
With this now looming, Doug Bandow says it’s time for the government to shutdown; and he takes his swipes at both parties and points out where spending cuts can be made in getting that message across:
Legislators continue to negotiate a budget deal to avoid a federal government shutdown. Most everyone in Washington assumes that the public would be angry if the bureaucrats were sent home. But a new Rasmussen poll indicates that 57% of Americans like the idea if it is the only way to get deeper budget cuts.
No doubt, the budget needs to be pared. Uncle Sam will spend about $3.8 trillion this year. The deficit will run a record $1.65 trillion.
But the Democratic leadership has decided to stand fast on behalf of Big (Really, Really Big) Government. The budget plan released by President Barack Obama earlier this year relied on the usual “rosy scenarios” to understate future outlays and overstate future revenues, yet still predicted that the annual deficit will remain above $600 billion throughout the coming decade. More realistically, the red ink over that period is likely to approach $10 trillion. Congressional Democrats are acting like there is no program, no expenditure in the entire federal Leviathan that is not essential.
Republicans have taken up the cause of the taxpayers. Of course, their conversion to the cause of fiscal responsibility came late: President George W. Bush and his GOP Congress squandered money on virtually every program known to man — and some previously unknown ones too. Republicans share the blame for today’s fiscal mess. But at least they are now using the phrase “budget cuts” in polite company.
As I noted yesterday, most would say that government shutdown would hurt Republicans, but a poll from The Hill shows that voters feel that the they have been more reasonable than Democrats in the budget battle that has gone on for several weeks in Washington.
Sources: http://www.unitedliberty.org
