Government Shutdown 2021 version

[SB Shock]

Congress is charging toward a government shutdown and debt default and appears to have no backup plan roughly a week before federal agencies would have to shutter their doors.

Democrats want Republican participation for raising the debt ceiling so they can spend.

McConnell predicted that Democrats will ultimately cave and raise the debt ceiling on their own.

"This is a totally Democratic government. They have an obligation to raise the debt ceiling and they will do it," McConnell said.

[ShockerPrez]

Ah yes, the old government shut-down play. Social security checks 1st to end.

[wufan]

Hey! Now that we aren’t spending billions in Afghanistan, we should be all good!

[wichshock65]

Ah yes, the old government shut-down play. Social security checks 1st to end.

[WuDrWu]

I know this is front and center because it's happening now, but I don't remember the coverage being this, I don't know, dire, in the past.

It's probably just a product of news in general being horrible now.


On a separate tact, can the good people of Vermont PLEASE vote out Pat Leahy (Bernie needs to go as well, especially after his crazy comment about 48 people being allowed to run the Senate but he's not up for re-election next year, so, one at a time), even if you must elect someone even more liberal. Just elect someone else.

Vermonters (Vermontians? Vermotions? Vermites?) must be petrified of change. This Senate seat has been occupied by, wait for it, TWO FREAKING PEOPLE in the last EIGHTY YEARS.

Leahy, who is running for his 29th term next year, has been in office since 1975. The man he replaced was a term limit advocate apparently as George Aiken only served 34 years in the Senate (and 44 years overall in public service for Vermont).

Fear of change....it has to be that or an unusually large percentage (above 99.99%) of mentally handicapped voters.

[shoxlax]

Leahy is powerful and panders to his constituents, delivering earmarks which help Vermont. He is, if your are a Republican, someone you have to work with behind the scenes to get language through for your district.
Without boring you, I will just say I know this first hand.

As far as Bernie goes, somehow he has the Willie Nelson effect and has figured out a way to transcend age to cool anti establishment, although that is a somewhat faux description of reality (Willie is genuine).

All of that aside, they are both old fart career politicians that represent a lot of what is wrong with our system, politics notwithstanding. For the good of the country, both need to be leaving the scene yesterday.