Government Shutdown
Liz Wolfe | 2.23.2024 9:30 AM
Congressional shutdown? A girl can dream!
Today, the federal government will start preparing for a partial shutdown, as two government funding deadlines loom—March 1 for one set of agencies, and March 8 for the rest—that will possibly not be met.
It's possible that yet another stopgap bill will be agreed to, in much the same way Congress got itself out of this pickle back in September. Oh, and also November. Oh, and also January. In short: Congress is hobbled by dysfunction right now and keeps struggling to proactively put together spending bills in advance of deadlines.
Legislators currently disagree on foreign aid, specifically whether the U.S. ought to shell out more funding for the war effort in Ukraine, as well as border control. One flank of the Republican Party also advocates massive spending cuts—1 percent across the board!—to try to get the big-picture budgetary situation under control. These are not new tensions, but rather ones that have been somewhere between boiling and simmering for the better part of the winter. (More from Reason's Eric Boehm on this.)
"I think the odds [of a shutdown] are 50-50 at this point," Rep. Patrick McHenry (R–N.C.) told CBS News. The thing is, government shutdowns are little more than an act: Though they pack a dramatic punch, and are disruptive to many, plenty of agencies continue to provide services and they don't end up saving the federal government very much money at all.
A shutdown would, for example, pause trainings for new air traffic controllers, but keep existing ones at work. It would not halt administration of benefits for veterans, but it would temporarily pause the maintenance at Veterans Affairs cemeteries. Food stamps would continue to be sent out and food safety inspection workers would stay on the job, but most National Park Service sites would close down. Loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration would probably be delayed.
But, by and large, shutdowns are not invitations to truly reconsider the role the federal government plays in our lives. They're not opportunities to reflect on which agencies and programs we actually need—to the extent that we need any of them. They're perceived as painful and semi-embarrassing for legislators, even if they don't affect very much. They generate headlines (like this one, whoops). Eventually, Congress comes together and somebody concedes something and yet another supersized ream of taxpayer dollars gets blown right through. Rinse and repeat.
This time is a little different, though, because Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) is currently traveling through Ukraine—funding for which has been a source of major disagreement, particularly in the House—and has "said he hopes to show how congressional foot-dragging on more aid has hurt Ukraine's efforts on the battlefield and to appeal to House Republicans to take action before it's too late," per The New York Times. Sooner or later, Congress will need to figure out where it stands on Ukraine funding.
Scenes from New York: The company that runs the city's ferry service, Hornblower, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday. "This will not affect NYC Ferry service whatsoever," said Hornblower CEO Kevin Rabbitt. "In fact, this deal injects new capital into the parent company, while eliminating debt unrelated to ferry operations, which will allow the system to continue its record growth across the five boroughs."
But the NYC ferry system, wonderful as it may be, is pretty unsustainable: Each rider pays $4 per trip but is subsidized by the city to the tune of about $10 per trip. If riders were forced to bear the true costs, maybe the ferry service would be less of a money pit, and we could remain assured that it will continue to operate.
Hey folks, it's not the 1970's anymore. It's ok to say you support nuclear energy.
Just a reminder that over 50% of voters in California were in favor of keeping Diablo Canyon open.
My prediction is that in about 5-10 years being anti-nuclear energy will be as bad of a look as… https://t.co/hJmwAcmWDh
— isabelle ???? (@isabelleboemeke) February 22, 2024
In a memo to staff, Vice CEO Bruce Dixon announces hundreds of layoffs and that the company will no longer publish on Vice dot com. He also says VMG is in advanced talks to sell Refinery29. pic.twitter.com/Xc9tl8uoYE
— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) February 22, 2024
with the vice rumors sending a new batch of journalists scrambling to archive more than a decade's worth of work, i've been thinking a lot about link rot and the insidious ephemerality of digital media
the internet is forever, except when it's not, and that's kind of terrifying
— paris martineau (@parismartineau) February 22, 2024
Looming Deadline
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23.02.2024
Government Shutdown
Liz Wolfe | 2.23.2024 9:30 AM
Congressional shutdown? A girl can dream!
Today, the federal government will start preparing for a partial shutdown, as two government funding deadlines loom—March 1 for one set of agencies, and March 8 for the rest—that will possibly not be met.
It's possible that yet another stopgap bill will be agreed to, in much the same way Congress got itself out of this pickle back in September. Oh, and also November. Oh, and also January. In short: Congress is hobbled by dysfunction right now and keeps struggling to proactively put together spending bills in advance of deadlines.
Legislators currently disagree on foreign aid, specifically whether the U.S. ought to shell out more funding for the war effort in Ukraine, as well as border control. One flank of the Republican Party also advocates massive spending cuts—1 percent across the board!—to try to get the big-picture budgetary situation under control. These are not new tensions, but rather ones that have been somewhere between boiling and simmering for the better part of the winter. (More from Reason's Eric Boehm on this.)
"I think the........
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