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Collins votes to continue government funding, avoid shutdown

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) released the following statement after voting in favor of legislation to maintain current funding for federal operations and prevent a government shutdown through Feb. 16. In addition to continuing government funding, the bill includes language to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years.

"Today, House Republicans voted to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years, yet again providing certainty to millions of low-income children. The bill also includes short-term funding to keep the government open and make sure our nation’s military has the resources they need to keep us safe.

"I am confident that we will come to a solution on a long-term funding bill while taking care of the DACA situation, but as negotiations continue I hope that Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats stop playing politics with the health of our nation’s children and vote to keep the government up and running."

Brian Graz

SHUT IT DOWN.... !!!

- The US Government spends $10,460,188,800 (~$10 billion, 460 million) per day
- The US Government borrows $4,506,849,315 (4 billion, 506 million) each day.

I say shut down the Federal government 1 day per week until we pay down the debt. Then cut spending and waste [eliminated 20-30% of government bureaucracy], and require a balanced budget [just like responsible families and individuals do]. NO MORE DEBT, and Debt Ceiling Madness.

Jan 19, 2018, 2:21pm Permalink
Tim Miller

Although I do not disagree that we borrow too much, using the budget from one of the deep recession years is at best an overstatement, at worst deceptive. The infographic and numbers quoted by Brian are from 2011...deep deep into the recession.

Granted - it may not be any better next year with the tax break given to the 1%. :-/

Jan 19, 2018, 3:19pm Permalink
Brian Graz

I realized that the link I provided was older [2011-12], but I'm quite sure it hasn't been any better at any time since. How could it be when time after time the irresponsible Congress repeatedly raises the debt ceiling?

Jan 19, 2018, 4:35pm Permalink
david spaulding

copy and paste..." I hope that Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats stop playing politics with the health of our nation’s children and vote to keep the government up and running."...
What I find most interesting and what makes me angry is how one party points their finger at the other and blames them for the situation they Both caused....back to the copy and paste....... I hope that Chris Collins and Senate Republicans stop playing politics with the health of our nation’s children and vote to keep the government up and running." ......it'll never end

Jan 19, 2018, 5:01pm Permalink
Brian Graz

The government will Never shut down... are you all so naive as to believe the dog n pony show? They purposely shut down services that hurt the populace the most, just to get their way and continue increased spending for their pork projects and lobbyist. Both parties are complicit scumballs.

Jan 19, 2018, 8:05pm Permalink
Brian Graz

OMG, the US government is shutting down... OMG, Doomsday!!!

So tomorrow at this time the nation will have saved $10.4 Billion... ??? I'm all for it.

Jan 20, 2018, 12:24am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

No money will be saved. Everybody will get back-pay owed, etc.,

This is pure partisanship. An unwillingness to work together and do what the system was designed for elected officials do: compromise.

Everybody who puts party ahead of policy, who calls the other side names, who paints the other side as an enemy, be an elected official or a voter, is to blame.

Jan 20, 2018, 10:53am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Term limits won't fix partisanship. It won't loosen the stranglehold the party apparatus and paid-professional staff has on the apparatus of legislatures. It hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried.

End gerrymandering (there are cases now before the Supreme Court that offer a little hope). End the government collection of party membership records (an invasion of privacy and undue subsidy to private organizations). End government subsidies of party primaries. Repeal all ballot access laws. Get the government out of partisan politics and aiding and abetting partisan politics.

That will fix what ails us.

Term limits are like the guy who gets heart surgery and then goes back to eating and drinking too much and not exercising. Term limits don't fix the real issue.

Jan 20, 2018, 12:02pm Permalink
Brian Graz

Howard, believe it or no, I agree with all the suggestions you listed as fixing our dysfunctional government. But I also believe that Term Limits would be a help. They may not end the partisan control, but at least it would lessen the time any one member would be available to lobbying and corrupt forces. It would greatly diminish having a Sheldon Silver or Dean Skelos. I would like a 10yr Term limit with election at 2-2-6 years on alternating basis so all terms would not end at the same time. This would reduce some of the wasted time and ridiculous spending on campaigning over re-election every 2 years [as now]. Also a 10yr limit would eliminate any representative from serving just during only one governor, who should have a limit of 8yrs. Lastly the final term of 6 years would be a lame-duck term so hopefully the emphasis the entire term will be on good governing and not making special deals or pursuing legislation with the purpose of re-election.

Jan 20, 2018, 9:44pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Good to hear, Brian.

I don’t think term limits fix anything. All the power a Sheldon Silver and others amass is purely a derivitive of staff and party apparatus.

I don’t think most people really understand how all encompassing and powerful legislative staff is. Staff is the real permanent political class. Term limiting elected officials doesn’t term limit staff.

My two years working for the California State Assembly was really eye opening. I haven’t been a member of a political party since. They are just endemically corrupt. It’s not the politicians. They’re just the ones who get caught. It’s the party machine and staff that is the problem.

Jan 20, 2018, 10:16pm Permalink

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