The government goes into shutdown mode again. Is it a Shumer DACA or Trump shutdown? Regardless, within a few days a three week operating extension is put into effect. Finger pointing and blame is well underway on all sides. Confusion and distortions swirl. What is the real reason…and problem…behind the shutdown? Will there be another? What can we the voters do to solve the problem?
First, it is important to understand a few facts:
- DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) was a policy put in place by the Obama Administration when congress failed to pass the Dream Act in 2013. In other words, DACA is simply an Obama administration policy NOT law.
- The DACA policy was rescinded by the Trump administration on September 5, 2017, but full implementation of the rescission was delayed six months to give Congress time to decide how to deal with the population that was previously eligible under the policy.
- Congress creates and passes the government’s budget and spending NOT the President, though the President may influence his party’s priorities.
- DACA is part of Immigration Reform NOT Budgeting.
So Trump ended an Obama era policy that rightfully should be addressed under Immigration Reform legislation. He then gave DACA a six month extension to enable Congress to properly address Immigration Reform. As usual, and sadly as expected, Congress dawdled and failed to fulfill its responsibilities. Those impacted by the status of DACA deserve better. Congress also had a year to create a budget and, as expected, failed to do so. Now with two big failures of responsibility along comes Senator Chuck Shumer who attempts to strong arm the President into extending the Obama DACA policy by refusing to provide an extension to government spending and forcing a shutdown. Blackmail pure and simple!
Seriously? Is this any way to run a government?
Both the Democrats and the Republicans have proven that they can create and pass legislation quickly when they want to. (As they did recently with Tax Reform, and previously with Obamacare.) The Democrats and Republicans and have had more than enough time to craft both a Budget AND Immigration Reform yet have failed to do either. Now they blame each other and throw the government into chaos.
Another view on the cause of the government shutdown from: The Atlantic on DACA and the Government Shutdown
Senator Shumer Rescinds $25 billion offer
So the government shutdowns but only partially. Our military men and women must still serve and fight without pay, other employees get furloughed, yet or Congress people continue to collect their full salaries. And our representatives wonder why they are so distrusted and why Trump was elected.
Something MUST force Congress to the address both the budget and Immigration Reform. It looks like DACA may be the incentive to and justifiably so. Only time will tell. But as a citizen, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or otherwise, are you not fed up with the incompetence in Washington on both sides of the aisle who fail to address the tough issues facing America. If those in office can’t get the job done, it is time to vote in a new class to Congress regardless of party. Status quo has got to go in Washington. We have serious problems and we need serious people to solve them.