No reason to celebrate this one... We know that Republicans failed to pass a federal budget for the current fiscal year - FY 2007. But the Democrats response is just as appalling. In early January, they plan to quickly pass a bill keeping spending levels for the rest of fiscal year 2007 (through September 30, 2007) at last year's (fiscal year 2006) levels.
So - Democrats have done in two months what Republicans couldn't do in 12 years - hold spending level from one year to the next. And they're patting eachother on the back over it. Sounds nice and fiscally responsible. However, it's going to be unprecedented and devastating.
More on effects after the jump.
Housing programs? Lost rent subsidies will make people homeless. Unfortunately, lost homeless programs money will cause shelters to close. And lost senior housing dollars mean no new housing for the elderly poor. That's just the start in housing.
Social service programs? We'll see cuts to children's programs like WIC and Head Start. Cuts to job training, environmental programs, and AIDS treatment and housing programs. And many more...
It's unclear why the Dems are doing this, but it's a horrible abdication of responsibility, with the potential for tremendous negative effects for PEOPLE. Doesn't sounds like what the Dems ran and won on.
So come on, Democrats. Let's reconsider this hasty decision and do what's right. Do some hard work and pass the spending bills we need to keep the government operating with modest program funding increases.
Otherwise, we'll acknowledge again that nobody ever went broke underestimating the ability of Democrats to be wimpy. Who won the election this November?