Catastrophic Countdown

If by the stroke of midnight US Congress does not reach an agreement on thorny issues, US government non-essential services will cease. Senate Democrats may block a stopgap bill that passed the House to temporarily keep much of the government running.

So-called Senate leaders are pointing to domestic spending and immigration disputes that have been going on since way before the election. Congress has been unable to pass a long-term spending plan for government agencies since last year's budget ran out Sept. 30, instead opting for a series of weeks-long spending measures to keep the government open. The GOP has a narrow 51-49 Senate majority, but a spending bill needs 60 votes to pass.

This is yet another example of why every American citizen should be registered to vote. Taxpayers must now pay for the mess these people have presented to the US. The last government shutdown was back in 2013, it lasted over two weeks and cost an estimated $24 billion dollars.

This reminds me of the origin of a phrase that has been attributed both to Joseph P. Kennedy and sometimes to Norwegian-born American football player and coach Knute Rockne. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, but others run away.

@POTUS said he would be happy to take the heat, but has he now decided to get out of the kitchen? Trump heads to Mar-a-Lago fundraiser amid shutdown fears http://nyp.st/2BepfFg

Here's what happens if the government shuts down tonight http://nydn.us/2Be2vpd

Senate in disarray with shutdown hours away http://politi.co/2mPhqAT

What happens if the US government shuts down? @AJENews http://aje.io/zw3u3