The term “March Madness” is about to take on a whole new meaning, and I’m not talking about basketball…
With the March 4th cutoff date fast approaching, there is one question that continues to loom in the minds of govies everywhere- what if the federal government is forced to face another shutdown? Chris Cillizza over at the Washington Post recently tackled this question and more in his multimedia article:
Fast Fix: Another Government Shutdown?
“The last time the federal government shut down was in 1995 when President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich played a game of political chicken over the budget. Clinton ultimately carried the day politically and used the momentum he gained from that victory to score a crushing reelection win in 1996.”
There is no doubt that such a situation would deal a significant blow to the nation’s economic and political economy. But what about the hundreds of thousands of faithful public servants who are, for the most part, innocent bystanders? How would a total government shutdown affect them?
Of course, the answers to these questions and others will continue to haunt the majority of us while the budget battle continues to rage behind closed doors. But in the meantime…
What do you think? Are we headed for another federal standstill, or can our friends on the Hill work out their differences by the Spring? What are the political and economic ramifications if they don’t?
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