Not only did the government shutdown, but it looks like democracy got shutdown, as well. With all the evidence piling up, it seemed that both were orchestrated by a single party though loopholes in the law.
There was a standing rule in place (Rule XXII, Clause 4) that allowed ANY member to bring the Senate’s clean CR ([tooltip title=”CR Definition” content=”A continuing resolution is a type of appropriations legislation used by the United States Congress to fund government agencies if a formal appropriations bill has not been signed into law by the end of the Congressional fiscal year. The legislation takes the form of a joint resolution, and provides funding for existing federal programs at current, reduced, or expanded levels” type=”info” ]Continuing Resolution[/tooltip]) to a vote. All indictions lead me to believe that the vote would pass and the government would reopen for business.
However, there’s was a little change made that gave the right to bring up that motion ONLY to the Majority Leader or his designee. This was House Resolution 238 and it was quietly passed in the House on October 1, 2013. In the words of the Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Speaker Pro Tempore:
The House has altered that operation of that standing rule.
Conservatives are doing a great job ensuring that there will be a Democrat in the White House (and a Democratic Congress) for a long time to come. And based on my political leanings, I think that’s a pretty good thing.
