WASHINGTON — The U.S. Congress begins a wild and potentially chaotic week on Monday that may or may not end with a government shutdown on October 1 but will surely do nothing to improve its low standing with American voters.
With action to fund the government required in both the U.S. Senate and then once again in the House of Representatives, a down-to-the wire battle through next weekend is almost guaranteed.
And when members are finished with that, they will confront an even more volatile clash over increasing the government's borrowing authority, with its credit rating and possible default on the line.
Related: Not lifting debt ceiling 'would be dumb'
The long Republican war against "Obamacare," President Barack Obama's healthcare signature law set for launch on Oct. 1, is at the heart of the clashes ahead. Republicans are using both the threat of a shutdown as well as the debt ceiling in an effort to scuttle or delay the law.
Yet the only certainty is that when the dust settles, Obamacare will still be standing. Neither the Democratic Senate nor Obama will agree to a bill delaying the program, signed into law by the president in March, 2010 to provide health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans.
The clash is a potentially defining moment for Republicans, who are badly divided over the anti-Obamacare tactic being pursued by the House.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Congress begins a wild and potentially chaotic week on Monday that may or may not end with a government shutdown on October 1 but will surely do nothing to improve its low standing with American voters.
ReplyDeleteWith action to fund the government required in both the U.S. Senate and then once again in the House of Representatives, a down-to-the wire battle through next weekend is almost guaranteed.
And when members are finished with that, they will confront an even more volatile clash over increasing the government's borrowing authority, with its credit rating and possible default on the line.
Related: Not lifting debt ceiling 'would be dumb'
The long Republican war against "Obamacare," President Barack Obama's healthcare signature law set for launch on Oct. 1, is at the heart of the clashes ahead. Republicans are using both the threat of a shutdown as well as the debt ceiling in an effort to scuttle or delay the law.
Yet the only certainty is that when the dust settles, Obamacare will still be standing. Neither the Democratic Senate nor Obama will agree to a bill delaying the program, signed into law by the president in March, 2010 to provide health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans.
The clash is a potentially defining moment for Republicans, who are badly divided over the anti-Obamacare tactic being pursued by the House.
DEFINING MOMENT FOR REPUBLICANS