Congress again hurtling government toward the cliff

Congress finds itself in a familiar position, as once again the clock is running to avoid a federal government shutdown. The government will run out of money by the end of this week if it does not pass legislation to continue to temporarily fund the government. Some say let them shut down, but that would be irresponsible and bad for our economy. It would threaten our military, and likely lead to the shutdown of federal parks and other non-essential services. Of course it didn’t have to be this way. In fact, this summer, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden reached a deal to keep the government operating.  It was agreed to by McCarthy, Biden and both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. But a handful of hardline conservatives in the Legislature seem to be driving this bus, and Speaker McCarthy appears to be trying to keep his job by somehow appeasing these malcontents. It appears he has even given up, sending lawmakers hope for the weekend rather than making them stay in Washington to negotiate. So far they are unwilling to pass even a continuing resolution to keep the government operational at current funding levels. This isn’t a game. This is their job. And they need to get it done, before it is too late.