Can Shutdown Showdown Be Avoided?

It looks as if we are headed toward more budgetary brinkmanship at summer’s end.

There are hints of a potential confrontation and government shutdown as the government runs out of spending authority on Sept. 30 and soon thereafter is scheduled to reach its borrowing limit.

For the do-nothing Congress, it has mostly been a do-nothing summer.

It’s true that the Senate did stumble forward a bit by reaching an agreement to allow votes on some of President Barack Obama’s nominees for government positions. And earlier the Senate approved an overhaul of immigration laws, which the House may consider in the fall. Meanwhile, the House contents itself by going through the charade of regularly voting - 40 times at last count - to repeal Obamacare.

So, political skirmishes have not really taken a vacation. And internationalissues, including the vexing problem of Syria, have not faded away.

Republican Sen. John McCain helped engineer the compromise that prevented filibusters on a series of votes on Obama nominees. But whether there is anyone who can lead a search for common ground on spending, the debt ceiling, taxes, etc., remains in doubt.

The contentious debate over health care is on a continuous loop and is a focal point for much of the current political maneuvering.

Sometimes, the acrobatics involving the Obamacare obsession are amazing to behold. Recently, HouseRepublicans lathered up to vote to delay implementation of aspects of the healthcare law even though the president had already announced a delay. Some of the Republicans found themselves in the awkward position of attacking the president for usurping his authority in delaying provisions that they oppose.

But bigger battles may be ahead, despite Obama holding out hope for a “grand bargain,” including an ofter to cut taxes in return for Republican support for programs that would stimulate more middle-class jobs. It received a chilly GOP reaction. However, the president says he will soon roll out a new infrastructure plan. And infrastructure upgrading is sorely needed as well as job-creating. Too many bridges are structurally deficient; too many highways are in disrepair. Arkansas ranks tenth nationally in the highest percentage (31 percent) of miles of pavement in poor condition.

And Obama believes the health-care program is going to work if given a chance, despite the “nightmare scenarios” from his critics.

He also believes the decline in the federal budget deficit over the last year, from $1.1 trillion to $642 billion, should strengthen his bargaining position, However, Republicans don’t believe the deficit is under control, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) questioned Obama’s recent push on the economy: “At some point, campaign season has to end and the workingwith-others season has to begin.” But the reality is that in today’s political world, campaign season is unending - the permanent campaign on all sides.

A group of congressional conservatives has already drawn a line in the sand declaring they will not vote to stop a government shutdown if Obamacare is continued.

And the campaigning to stop Obamacare is nonstop.

Arkansas RepublicansSen. John Boozman and Rep. Rick Crawford oppose spending any tax funds for information programs about how Obamacare will work.

That’s despite the fact that it’s already being done and the law’s provisions certainly needs explaining. “Given our $17 trillion debt, we shouldn’t borrow from our children and the Chinese to advertise Obamacare,” Boozman said.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who wants to “defund” Obamacare, says shutting down the government will actually help Republicans, and he’ll favor that if one penny is allocated for Obamacare. But Tom Cole (R-Okla.) oft ers a saner view: The only two things that really risk the Republican majority in 2014 would be if we shut down the government or if we defaulted on the debt.”

The White House and congressional Democrats say they will not negotiate over the debt ceiling again this fall.

There are many sticky points to be faced in thecoming weeks, among them the issue of military spending. There is a threat of more than $50 billion in automatic budget cuts for the Pentagon later this year and many Republicans want to prevent sequestration from taking place. And those who favor U.S. intervention in Syria shouldn’t overlook the significant price tag it would carry: just a no-fl y zone would be $500 million initially and continue at $1 billion monthly and require hundreds of U.S. aircraft.

That, of course, doesn’t take into account all the other risks and costs that would be involved.

Can another shutdown showdown be avoided?

Short-term political considerations and selfgratifying confrontations may prevail, but cooperation and compromise in support of broader, longer-term national interests are sorely needed.

HOYT PURVIS IS A JOURNALISM AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PROFESSOR.