Let's Make a Deal
So as you may remember, last week I wrote about the impending doom of the government shutdown and how recipients of social security and disability would have to go without income. I even used the word "probable" when referring to the impending shutdown. Well, I was wrong…sort of. This week, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government for the next two weeks. Two thoughts come to your mind immediately: "They actually worked together on something?" and "Does this mean we don't have to worry anymore?"
I'll focus on the later question, the answer to which is "not quite." The President will soon sign the continuing resolution into law, but many fear Republicans are playing politics in order to set up another shutdown scenario. Two weeks is an extremely limited amount of time to work out a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. Predictions around Washington are that Congress will be at this same impasse two weeks from now, except the GOP will attempt to paint a picture of having agreed to bipartisan terms before and pushing Democrats into a corner in order to accept drastic spending cuts.
So yes, I was wrong in that the government will not shut down this week. However, it may shut down in another two weeks. Both parties are still miles apart of where to cut spending and how much to cut. Where the spending cuts eventually end up, the President has made it clear he will not sign a bill that cuts any part of the social security program. So, for those of you who receive social security or disability payments, the only thing you have to worry about is both parties not being able to agree on a resolution and allowing the government to shut down. Any bill that comes out of Congress will need to fully fund the social security program at current levels or it faces a veto from the President.
I know it's probably not the best thing to enjoy this political drama so much, but I can't help myself. I'm, not the only one either; my circle friends (aka personal injury lawyers) are all in the same boat. If you're concerned about the ongoing budget negotiations, stay tuned for future blog posts and keep up to date with your news source of choice.
I'll focus on the later question, the answer to which is "not quite." The President will soon sign the continuing resolution into law, but many fear Republicans are playing politics in order to set up another shutdown scenario. Two weeks is an extremely limited amount of time to work out a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. Predictions around Washington are that Congress will be at this same impasse two weeks from now, except the GOP will attempt to paint a picture of having agreed to bipartisan terms before and pushing Democrats into a corner in order to accept drastic spending cuts.
So yes, I was wrong in that the government will not shut down this week. However, it may shut down in another two weeks. Both parties are still miles apart of where to cut spending and how much to cut. Where the spending cuts eventually end up, the President has made it clear he will not sign a bill that cuts any part of the social security program. So, for those of you who receive social security or disability payments, the only thing you have to worry about is both parties not being able to agree on a resolution and allowing the government to shut down. Any bill that comes out of Congress will need to fully fund the social security program at current levels or it faces a veto from the President.
I know it's probably not the best thing to enjoy this political drama so much, but I can't help myself. I'm, not the only one either; my circle friends (aka personal injury lawyers) are all in the same boat. If you're concerned about the ongoing budget negotiations, stay tuned for future blog posts and keep up to date with your news source of choice.
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