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| Congress may not pass budget this year |
| 2010-04-12 |
| Congress is poised to miss its April 15 deadline for finishing next year's budget without even considering a draft in either chamber. Unlike citizens' tax-filing deadline, Congress's mid-April benchmark is nonbinding. And members seem to be in no rush to get the process going. Indeed, some Democratic insiders suspect that leaders will skip the budget process altogether this year — a way to avoid the political unpleasantness of voting on spending, deficits and taxes in an election year — or simply go through a few of the motions, without any real effort to complete the work. Congress has failed to adopt a final budget four times in the past 35 years — for fiscal years 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 — according to a recent Congressional Research Service report. If the House does not pass a first version of the budget resolution, it will be the first time since the implementation of the 1974 Budget Act, which governs the modern congressional budgeting process. The practical consequences of failing to produce a federal budget for next year are about the same as they are for a family that doesn't set a plan for income and spending: Congress doesn't need a budget to tax or spend, but enforcing discipline is harder without one. |
| Posted by: |
| #12 Budget? I don't got to show you no stinkin' budget! |
| Posted by: borgboy 2010-04-12 21:00 |
| #11 What's a budget and why would I care? |
| Posted by: Joe Congresscritter 2010-04-12 20:05 |
| #10 Nothing practical or needed is necessary to these evil clowns. |
| Posted by: newc 2010-04-12 18:17 |
| #9 My wife seems to be perpetually operating under a Continuing Resolution at her Gummint Agency. |
| Posted by: Grenter, Protector of the Geats 2010-04-12 15:13 |
| #8 It doesn't matter whether or not Congress fails, just that incumbents get re-elected on schedule. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-04-12 15:11 |
| #7 The prevailing philosophy appears to be "rules are for Republicans" and Democrats need not be bothered. They make sure the laws they pass don't apply to them, so why should rules or deadlines? After all, they are insulated from the consequences. |
| Posted by: rwv 2010-04-12 14:14 |
| #6 I seem to remember this happening in 93 or 94, the fed govt. pretty much shut down. I remember hearing about an administrator at the VA hospital in Marion, Ill. writing checks from her personal checking account so her nurses would have food money until the checks started coming in again. These idiots are far too busy worrying about gays in the military and a new VAT to do what we actually sent them to D.C. for. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-04-12 13:35 |
| #5 Back in the 70s, the Donk Congress couldn't even pass appropriations for Defense instead passing monthly continuing resolutions, usually late. Had to authorize families to use military dining facilities when no pay was available at the end of the month. Finally, they passed a continuing resolution for the reminder of the fiscal year. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-04-12 12:58 |
| #4 This is something I find amazing. I am by no means claiming that we have a flawless or superior system here in Canada, but for us if a government fails to pass a key piece of legislation (and a budget is about as key as one can get), the government is deemed incapable of governing and there is an election. Just ask former PM Joe Clark all about it. |
| Posted by: Chemist 2010-04-12 12:56 |
| #3 Nothing will happen, they will spend as usual (Meaning "What Budget") this is just to keep us sheeple Ignorant of our masters plans for the slaughter they plan, no knowledge, no planning against it. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-04-12 12:23 |
| #2 and the political fallout will be what? |
| Posted by: bman 2010-04-12 12:20 |
| #1 Congress has failed ............nuff said |
| Posted by: armyguy 2010-04-12 12:19 |