Congress again poised to kick the can down the road

Once again, we find ourselves in familiar territory, on the verge of a possible federal government shutdown. If a new spending plan is not approved by Friday, a shutdown could be the result, just in time for the holidays. But rather than working together, Democratic lawmakers are hoping to get funding for their pet projects, while Republicans are hoping to delay a long-term spending plan until they take control of the House of Representatives in January. It seems every few months we find ourselves on the verge of a government shutdown because members of the House and Senate keep relying on Continuing Resolutions as a way to keep the government operating. They agree to only a few months’ worth of federal spending at existing levels rather than crafting a long-term budget that reflects updated spending priorities. Imagine if successful companies only budgeted for weeks or months at a time. They probably wouldn’t be very successful for very long. But instead, our elected officials seem intent on kicking the can down the road once again, perhaps approving only enough federal spending to last a week in hopes of buying more time. And then we would find ourselves in this tangled mess yet again in just a matter of days. Let’s hope the new Congress can find the political strength to pass a real budget that lasts more than just weeks or months.