Whoopee! The House passed a budget deal that will avert a government shutdown for two years when it’s enacted by the Senate. Does that indicate a new era of comity and bipartisanship is about to descend on Washington?
Don’t hold your breath and shout Kumbaya. First of all, Senate Republicans are steaming mad over the Democrats use of the “nuclear option,” eliminating the filibuster as a way to block presidential appointees. Removing the filibuster by a majority vote in the Senate may have been a bad or good move given Republican obstructionism regarding Obama’s appointees, but it had been an integral part of the Senate rules for over a century and a half. Because Senate Republicans feel as if they have been disrespected by the Democrats, Americans can expect the GOP to make things as difficult as possible in terms of passing legislation next year. Senators still have a number of arcane rules available they can use to interfere with the legislative process. (And the Senate hasn’t passed the budget deal yet.)
And in the House there are a number of Tea Party conservatives unhappy with the budget deal who would like to see further cuts in federal spending and shrinkage of the government. The power of this block lies partially with the well-funded outside conservative groups who will continue to pressure Congressional Republicans to cut spending in the future, lower taxes, and throw rocks into the gears of government. These groups along with conservative House members also threaten incumbents with primary challenges from the right if they stray from Tea Party principles. This threat is being employed against Senate incumbents as well as those from the House. Thus, we cannot expect Republicans in the House or Senate to show a great willingness to compromise with the Democrats given the right-wing sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.
Another point is that this budget deal was no big deal. It did nothing to address citizens’ future needs and ways to grow the economy, though a government shutdown in the next two years will be averted. In addition to neglecting the plight of the long-term unemployed, necessary infrastructure maintenance and expansion were ignored, research and development spending was inadequate, and education requirements were disregarded, all of which are critical for the nation’s future and economic competitiveness. In fact, the agreement could be labeled “Budget Deal Lite,” since it did not confront the nation’s current and future problems, leaving those for another day that might never arrive. And the new farm bill, food stamp availability, and immigration reform are also waiting in the wings to be enacted. (Don’t hold your breath.)
2014 is also an election year, which means that partisanship will be heightened as each party attacks the other to try and attract voters. However, this will be preceded by the Republican primaries where candidates will be stepping over one another to try and prove their conservative bona fides. In the general election campaign to follow, Democrats will be hammering away at Republicans for creating the government shutdown, while the Republicans pommel the Democrats over the failures of Obamacare. This does not sound like a formula for bipartisanship and kumbaya.
The budget deal passed because Republicans realized that another government shutdown would hurt them greatly at the polls and so were willing to compromise on minor points to get a deal. The Democrats achieved almost nothing with this agreement and the same can be said for America’s citizens. And a period of bipartisanship does not appear to be on the horizon. The mid-term election of 2014 will be down and dirty, aided by 501(C)(4) groups with unlimited funds and no restraints. Washington’s dysfunction can be expected to continue.
Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com
Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020