As we all know, in politics, it’s never a dull moment, especially when it involves the potential shutdown of the federal government. This weekend, drama unfolded in real time as the countdown to a government shutdown ticked away. Yet, in an 89 to 9 vote, the Senate decided to throw the nation into a temporary lifeboat, pushing off the chaos for 45 more days.
In this game of political ping pong, New York City emerged as a winner, pocketing $16 billion in disaster relief as they recovered from the aftermath of some severe flash flooding. Though, notably missing from this financial package? Aid for Ukraine.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, representing the epicenter of the flooding disaster, voiced his relief, “There will be no government shutdown.” But honestly, why were we even dancing on this precipice?
President Joe Biden didn’t hold back, expressing his clear frustration at the far-right Republicans. Their audacious demands for even deeper cuts beyond the agreement, which already was controversial, completely go against the ethos of helping Americans in need. To put it bluntly, their hardball tactics failed.
Rahna Epting, MoveOn’s executive director, rightly called out the GOP’s role in this fiasco. “This entire crisis was a GOP manufactured one,” she voiced on social media, highlighting the disarray and infighting that nearly led to this governmental brinkmanship.
And then, there’s the ever-outspoken Bernie Sanders, who took to Twitter, sharing his relief that the extreme cuts pushed by the far-right did not see the light of day. However, Sanders also underscored the pressing need for disaster relief funds, especially for his Vermonters grappling with the aftermath of the devastating July floods.
But let’s be real – we’ve only hit the snooze button on this political alarm clock. Sen. John Fetterman paints a vivid picture of the GOP’s repeated tactics, criticizing their continued efforts to bring the government to the edge of shutdowns. He emphasized, “Pushing the snooze button solves nothing,” highlighting that we’re likely to revisit this same drama in just 45 days. His words ring true, “This is not entertainment, it’s governance.”
So, as we inch closer to this newly set deadline, concerns are rising that we’ll be right back in this circus. Epting pulls no punches: “If we elect clowns, we get a circus.”
But while we’ve managed to stave off a shutdown for now, there’s more on the horizon. The burning question of financial aid for Ukraine is heating up, with leaders like Biden, Schumer, and Sanders all emphasizing its importance.
So, millennials, the next 45 days promise to be a whirlwind. As Congress continues to wrestle with its priorities, we need to stay engaged, informed, and ready to hold our elected officials accountable. Because in the end, it’s not just about avoiding shutdowns—it’s about ensuring our government works for us, not against us.
