Sun editorial:

Shutting down government

House Republicans wrong to threaten drastic action that could interrupt jobs, services

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

Late 1995 was a particularly bitter time in American politics. Then-President Clinton, a Democrat, was clashing with a Republican-led Congress over the federal budget.

The impasse resulted in a partial federal government shutdown that initially sent home 800,000 civilian employees. Public opinion polls showed most of the blame was assigned to the Republicans.

Thirteen years later some House Republicans — apparently with short memories — are threatening another government shutdown if the Democratic-led Congress doesn’t vote to lift a moratorium on new offshore oil drilling. With the ban set to expire at the end of September, there has been media speculation that the Democrats will extend it as part of a bill to keep the federal government running beyond Sept. 30.

Leave it to former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who presided over the House during the 1995 shutdown, to stoke the flames that could lead to another shutdown. The San Francisco Chronicle, in a Sunday story, quoted Gingrich as saying Republicans should force a showdown with Democrats.

But Republicans would do well to ignore the advice of the mean-spirited Gingrich, who contributed as much as anyone in recent memory to the ugliness that turned off many people to the goings on inside Washington’s Beltway.

As the Chronicle pointed out, a federal shutdown would do more than simply send government workers home. National parks and passport offices would close. Veterans would face problems getting their benefit checks, and distressed homeowners would face delays in obtaining government-backed home loans.

Instead of forcing a government shutdown by attempting to block a budget measure or pressuring President Bush to veto it, House Republicans ought to concentrate on an energy strategy that extends beyond fossil fuels, one that includes heavier investments in wind, solar and geothermal energy. They should push American automakers to accelerate development and production of alternative-fuel vehicles. More than anything else, House Republicans should stop carrying water for Big Oil.

What they shouldn’t do is hold the federal government hostage.

Discussion: 7 comments so far…

By jfnance32

8/13/08 at 7:58 a.m.

Suggest removal

Reid and the Democrats want to attach to the Federal Budget measure something that has nothing to do with the Federal Budget.

Reid wants to add the renewal to ban offshore drilling to the budget measure.

That sounds like poor legislating to me.

Why are Reid and the Democrats so determined to stop offshore drilling?

Instead of sending trillions of cash to other countries, we could be drilling for the trillions of dollars of oil and gas that Reid and the Democrats have locked up for decades.
By Future2012

8/13/08 at 8:11 a.m.

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Reid and Pelosi are wrong to put the annual moratorium on new oil drilling into a FY-09 Continuing Resolution. Why are they not passing the normal appropriation bills before the new fiscal year? There will be no shutdown if they vote on drilling before October. Why are Reid and Pelosi not in session? Why are they hiding?

I do not want $700 billion in petro dollars going to foreign countries every year. This create millions of lost jobs, a devalued dollar, and energy insecurity. Reid and Pelosi need to stop complaining and act now.
By KDR81

8/13/08 at 8:24 a.m.

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Well if more Americans knew that for every $1 of benefit the American people "recieve" from the federal government we spent $1.72 to get then I'd say more people would be happy with a government shutdown.

As it stands most people have a strange love of having the government take care of their every need...despite complete dislike of our own government.
By ksand99

8/13/08 at 9:06 a.m.

Suggest removal

The republicans and their oil company friends don't make any sense.

We give them millions of acres of land to drill on, and they don't. So we give them more, and then they complain that they don't know if there's oil until they drill. And they claim, at the same time, that they aren't given leases that have oil. Well, how do you know until you drill? They have millions of acres of land that they aren't drilling on, what if there is oil there? Why haven't they drilled there first?

But their tomfoolery with the federal government shows how the republican oil company cronies continue to do nothing to help, just hurt.

They were given the chance to vote on drilling amendments in July, but they refused.

Why should we believe them now? We shouldn't!

They want to pass a bill that gives the oil companies the right to lease land and then sit on it. They refuse to vote for any legislation that will hold the companies accountable for additional drilling.

They want the RIGHT to drill without being told they have to exercise that right if granted!

This is all about the oil companies profits. Additional drilling won't help us, just their profits. They control the flow of oil, and when they keep that oil flow at a trickle, they make more money.

For the oil companies, more oil means less profits. That's why the republicans won't back measures to hold them accountable for their drilling.

But this latest ploy shows they will stop at nothing to prevent real relief for the American taxpayer.

They were given the chance last month to show their support for the American people and pass real relief, they chose to say NO!

The voters will remember in November!
By jfnance32

8/13/08 at 9:48 a.m.

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It is very simple.

The Democrats are against new offshore drilling.
By Future2012

8/13/08 at 10:02 a.m.

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By drilling $700 billion more of our own domestic oil we are paying ourself and we can feed our own people - rather than feeding foreign terrorist.

Drilling domestic with good environmental controls is better than the damage to the eco system caused in foreign counties without our environmental protection laws.

Why are we outsourcing our energy security.
By neiman1

8/13/08 at 3:18 p.m.

Suggest removal

Democrats are threatening to shut down the government by attaching a ban on offshore drilling to the budget.

Tell Harry to get the drilling out of the budget and lets us American resources for American jobs and independence. Do we want to rely on Russian oil next???

Contact our Senator reid.

email link
http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm...

Las Vegas
Lloyd D. George Building
333 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Suite 8016
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: 702-388-5020 / Fax: 702-388-5030

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