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THE US GOVERNMENT reopened its doors today after a battle-weary Congress approved a bipartisan measure to end a 16-day partial shutdown and avert the possibility of an economy-jarring default on US obligations.
Earlier today, President Barack Obama signed the measure, which the House and Senate passed late last night, ending a brawl with Republicans who tried to use the must-pass legislation to mount a last-ditch effort to derail the president’s landmark health care law and demand concessions on the budget.
Back to work
The White House directed all agencies to reopen promptly and in an orderly fashion. Furloughed federal employees across the country are expected to return to work this morning.
The impasse had shuttered national parks and monuments, and mostly closed down NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department. Critical functions of government went on as usual and most federal employees won’t see their paychecks delayed, but the closure and potential default weighed on the economy and spooked the financial markets.
There were signs earlier today that the federal government was slowly coming back to life. “We’re back from the #shutdown!” the Smithsonian Institution crowed on Twitter, announcing that museums would reopen today.
Damage to US economy
Standard & Poor’s estimated the shutdown has taken $24 billion out of the economy, and the Fitch credit rating agency warned on Tuesday that it was reviewing its AAA rating on US government debt for a possible downgrade.
Obama and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill were the decisive winners in the fight, which was sparked by tea party Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who prevailed upon skeptical GOP leaders to use a normally routine short-term funding bill to “defund” the 2010 health care law known as Obamacare.
“We fought the good fight. We just didn’t win,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, conceded in a radio interview. He was given positive reviews from Republicans for his handling of the crisis, though it again exposed the tenuous grasp he holds over the fractious House GOP conference.
The agreement was brokered by the Senate’s top Democrat, Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and its Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. They stepped in after the House was unable to coalesce around a Republican-only approach Tuesday.
The Senate approved the legislation by an 81-18 vote; the House followed suit by a tally of 285-144, with 87 Republicans in favor and 144 against, breaking an informal rule in which a majority of the majority party is supposed to carry legislation.
Passing the bill
Democrats unanimously supported the bill, even though it locks in funding at levels required by across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration.
The bill’s passage was only a temporary truce that sets up another collision between Obama and Republicans over spending and borrowing early next year.
It’s the second time this year that Congress has passed legislation to increase the government’s borrowing cap.
“With the shutdown behind us,” Obama said after the Senate vote, “we now have an opportunity to focus on a sensible budget that is responsible, that is fair and that helps hardworking people all across this country”.
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If it was Ireland they be looking for the last two weeks back in annual leave
Teachers certainly would
Plus compo.
Actually Congress already decided during the shutdown that they would get back pay once the shutdown ended.
If it was Ireland you would have morons making idiotic fascist comments on the internet that show up their complete lack of knowledge of politics and democratic processes.
How did they keep their top notch credit rating? Hours from a default and they solve it by raising the dept ceiling?? Well I guess its ok once you have that magic money $$$$
They have a working printing machine. Zee Germans have one too but they never turn it on and it sits there gathering dust in the corner.
They lost their top credit rating last time out…
If it was Ireland we’d ask Angela what to do.
Hey Obama how about you go to work and start doing a decent job you puppet president
Chipstix, you are clueless about this.
At what that he is a puppet president or that more than 50% of voters don’t approve of him
C’mon Declan even you have got to admit to the flaws in this guy
And the 50% that do approve of him!
You mention puppet but do you know of the Koch brothers who some say are behind the tea party?
There’s your “puppet masters” there and the Tea Baggers are dead set against Obama.
I think you are falling for the lies yourself.
You muppet who’s talking about the tea party I’m talking about Obama .. the term puppet president is around since JFK got killed but that’s typical of you change the subject or don’t answer the tough questions , must be dozens of them … Deco the muppet Obama the puppet..
Chipstix, as I said above you are clueless. President Obama does not operate in a vacuum. Lots of forces at play in his presidency.
Declan
“Lots of forces at play in his presidency”
For once we agree
My prob isn’t with the monkey it’s with the organ grinder , no pun intended
Ya see chop you are reading too much into that. When I say forces I mean his party, the opposition, the business community, the electorate and so on. He got elected on his ideas but has come up against a lot of opposition from those on the right and he does need to strike a balance but you call him a puppet and that’s why I say your clueless.
So basically you are using Forces as a “buzzword” or an avenue .. Or maybe a slip who knows … His ideas were very early met with disappoint , you know that.. and that trend has continued hence the lack of confidence in him … Declan I would like to hear your interpretation of ” puppet president” you deflect as often as possible from my questions here is an easy one
I love the term ‘ordered to return to work’. Nothing beats being a slave to the system!
I see george bush mk.3 is doing a wonderful job , back to wars, drone strikes on children and spying
You can’t compare the power of Ireland over the USA. We are a mere state within the EU machine at this stage. A bit like the state of Maine. I bet the Brits are glad they stayed out of the euro.
Britain is a state within the United States.
There’s nothing like intelligent comment………and that was, indeed, nothing like an intelligent comment.
I wonder how many Americans are asking themselves whether they missed the furloughed employees. Sure, there was a lot of theatre around closing national monuments, but it isn’t as if the entire social order collapsed. Maybe a rather more permanent holiday wouldn’t be the worst thing?
A) that’s the thought process of a true anti-govt republican and B) it cost the economy $21B. So yes it had an impact.
That’s the thing, though. Not paying government employees lowers GDP *by definition*. Now they get their back-pay, $24B goes back in. It tells you absolutely nothing about production or social utility. If the government printed money and used it to pay people to dig holes in the ground and fill them in again, that would increase GDP. (Keynes actually suggested a variation of this involving disused mines.) Doesn’t mean it’s useful.
Murica
Is that a picture of the thumb Obama was sitting on?
Ordered? They would be lucky to get them back. After nearly two weeks of no pay as a result of grandstanding Republicans
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