Search This Blog

Thursday, July 7, 2016

The Games Being Played by Senate Democrats

Today, the leadership of the senate Democrats sent a letter to senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, telling him that the Democrats would filibuster spending bills like the Defense Appropriations Bill unless McConnell agreed to abide to the budget framework.

First let me apologize to my readers.  I used the word "leadership" to refer to Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer.  These men are not leaders of the America people; they only care about getting their own way.

Second, let's look at what this actually means.  Months ago, a budget deal was reached that resulted in a so called budget framework.  Part of that deal was to set spending limits and to also provide a method for going beyond those limits in certain conditions.  Recently, when funding was needed for research and treatment of the Zika virus, a bill was put on the floor of the senate which would provide about 1.1 billion dollars for that purpose.  As required by the budget framework, the bill took unused money from other accounts so that the funds could be spent on Zika.  About $600 million (or more than half the total) was moved from an account where it was being held for research into fighting the Ebola virus outbreak from a few years back.  That emergency is now over, so the money would be better spent fighting Zika.  The Democrats, however, refused to let that bill pass; they filibustered it.  According to the Democrats, spending has to be kept in place for Ebola and new funds need to be added for Zika.  In other words, the Democrats insisted on busting the budget framework.  No Zika bill passed to date as a result.  Now, these same Democrats are claiming that the GOP is busting the budget framework and threatening to shut down the government if they don't get their way.

Think about that.  A few years ago, the GOP insisted on delaying the implementation of Obamacare and the Democrats refused.  As a result, there was a two and one half week partial government shutdown.  The media went crazy.  The Democrats went crazy.  The Republicans were lambasted as terrorists, hostage takers, and you name it.  How could they do such a terrible thing.  Of course, then Obama went into operation and the exchange website did not even work properly for months thereafter.  A delay would have been a good thing, but no one ever talks about that.  Now, the Democrats have tried to break the budget framework and failed.  As a result, they have decided to charge that it is the GOP breaking the framework and then to threaten a government shutdown.

Is there anyone who thinks the media will respond to these ridiculous moves by the Democrats in anything like the way the media responded to the GOP moves of a few years ago?  It won't happen; you can be sure.  The American people should know the truth, however.

No comments: