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Law signed, yesterday morning, by US President Barack Obama, did indeed permit some 800,000 state officials to open office doors again; even so, the solution is but temporary. The government may continue pursuant to a very-short-term budget and the debt ceiling is lifted for a few short months. The problems – 16 days of government «slimdown» – will be returning as soon as January.
And even the temporary solution came at the nick of time, US default ever so close. In the fragile world economy, the next international financial crisis would probably have been secured.
The reason of the Republican-Democrat tussle is Obamacare i.e. US citizens’ health insurance plan. With classic duels involving two cowboys risking their own lives, here the potential victims are the millions with health uninsured.
US, as we know, lacking state health insurance, the employers supposed to take care of that. But not always and not with all. It is estimated that, prior to Obama’s reform, about 48 millions were without health insurance. Medical aid, in US, being expensive – over the heads of even those making decent middle class income.
The state was closed down, partly, due to Republicans trying to push Obamacare into future more distant, next year’s budget therefore impossible to be ratified.
The Republican stand does look like crusading stubbornness. Had essential discussions been the point, that would have been managed earlier, perhaps?
How sad that parties should thus sink to issues related to image. The main problem being, as put by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, «damage to the Republican brand». Not damage to state agencies, global financial stability and health care for millions! Cynical, to put it mildly...
Worrisome, then, that budget deficit talks stand to end by December 13th. Mr Obama has expressed hopes it will not ne 11th hour, this time around. Kicking the habit of being led by crises. Even so, with cooperation shunned and brinkmanship the order of the day, crisis mode is to be continued.