GOP Breaking On Debt Ceiling, Gov't To Remain Shutdown
WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) – The GOP-led government shutdown looks like it will continue for an undetermined amount of time, even as more workers begin to lose their pay checks and the debt limit is avoided.
A large chunk of the federal workforce, including thousands in South Florida, are bracing for a missed paycheck on Friday. While 350,000 of the 800,000 furloughed federal workers have returned to the job, thousands are starting to see large chunks of money lost and bills will soon be coming due.
The shutdown, first pitched by Republican Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Mike Lee, is 10 days old and showing no signs of breaking anytime soon. Republicans shut the government down after they were unable to extract demands that the Affordable Care Act be either defunded or delayed.
While GOP members in the House of Representatives continue to insist that they will not reopen the government without major concessions from the White House; the more fiscally damaging debt ceiling debate may be ending, at least temporarily.
Reports came out Thursday morning that the House GOP leadership is ready to proceed with a clean debt ceiling hike for six weeks to allow Republicans and Democrats to negotiate on larger budget issues.
If the House moves forward with the plan, it could avert the debt ceiling crisis until roughly Thanksgiving. However, another fight could be in the cards if no budget deal was agreed to by the new deadline in six weeks.
Republicans will lose the leverage of threatening to bankrupt the global economy when the debt ceiling is lifted, at least until the next date the debt limit would need to be raised. The GOP wants budget concessions from Democrats in exchange for not crashing the U.S. economy.
Democrats, led by President Barack Obama, continue to refuse to negotiate over the debt ceiling or the government shutdown saying they won't be subject to extortion by Republicans.
But voters are souring on both parties as the shutdown and debt default drama continues to drag on. Now, as more and more paychecks begin to be missed, voters may be ready to punish both parties when elections come up this year and next year.
