House Republican leaders announced over the weekend that they will vote this week on a plan to extend the debt ceiling for three more months so that they don’t have to do anything just yet.
And to make us feel better, they swear that if Congress can’t pass a budget by then, they won’t get paid. I’ll state the obvious: there would be no money to pay themselves in the first place if they don’t eventually pass a budget.
That’s kind of what automatic cuts do: they limit your ability to spend. But the House is content to ignore that bit and focus on what they think is a super idea.
In announcing the proposal, House Speaker John Boehner referred to the continual financial mess – the one that the House is just now perpetuating – as “a shameful run” while cheerfully placing the blame on the Senate. His statement, remarkably implied that if it were simply up to the House, we would have controlled government spending earlier. *cough* No, really, he did.
Their new latest, greatest self-imposed deadline? April 15. Tax Day.
That date – not surprisingly – will get them through the impending tax refund crisis.
Theatrics aside, the lack of willingness to negotiate before the last latest, greatest self-imposed deadline is a bit concerning for many taxpayers. This Congressional habit of just pushing off tough decisions is becoming predictable. When we hit a roadblock, we extend the deadline. But they can stop at any time, right?
(This is the point where I sit quietly on my hands and don’t say “I told you so.”)
How are they going to get these negotiations done? By digging in, right? Or not. In case you’re keeping count, even in the midst of a financial crisis, the House is scheduled to be in session for eight days in January. Yes, eight. And eleven days in February. The Senate will likely follow suit. They work hard for their money.
