SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The Department of Housing and Urban Develoment (HUD) webstie explains the agency is closed during the shutdown. (Photo: HUD/screenshot)
Longest Shutdown Ever: This Is Bad Governance
This shutdown is a brazen power grab by the president, and so far, too many members of Congress have been willing to cede this power
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/blog/2019/01/12/longest-shutdown-ever/
Jan 12, 2019
Editor's Note: This piece was originally published on Sat. Jan. 12, 2018 by National Priorities Project, a project of the Institute for Policy Studies.
It's day 22, and this government shutdown is officially the longest in American history.
Congress has the power to make things right, but it would take a bipartisan stand against the president.
This is bad governance. Our constitution makes clear that Congress, not the president, has the "power of the purse." This shutdown is a brazen power grab by the president, and so far, too many members of Congress have been willing to cede this power to the president when they could end it today with enough votes. So, the shutdown continues.
Most Americans favor immigration, and oppose a wall, as I wrote this week in Fortune. According to a poll from business insider, most Americans would rather see our shared resources put toward infrastructure, healthcare, or education than a wall at the border.
Where will it end? In recent days reports have focused on the possibility of the president declaring a national emergency. According to news reports, he would use the declaration to repurpose funding from either militaryfunds or disaster fundsfor Puerto Rico, Texas and California. If he takes from the military, he's admitting he thinks the military doesn't need the funds. If he takes from disaster funds, he's just plain heartless.
This is unconscionable, and it's dangerous for our democracy. The president's powers have been limited from the outset of our democracy to guard against authoritarianism, and a declaration of national emergency will almost certainly be met by lawsuits and congressional investigation.
This is no way to run a budget, and no way to run a government. Congress has the power to make things right, but it would take a bipartisan stand against the president.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 Institute for Policy Studies
Lindsay Koshgarian
Lindsay Koshgarian directs the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.
Editor's Note: This piece was originally published on Sat. Jan. 12, 2018 by National Priorities Project, a project of the Institute for Policy Studies.
It's day 22, and this government shutdown is officially the longest in American history.
Congress has the power to make things right, but it would take a bipartisan stand against the president.
This is bad governance. Our constitution makes clear that Congress, not the president, has the "power of the purse." This shutdown is a brazen power grab by the president, and so far, too many members of Congress have been willing to cede this power to the president when they could end it today with enough votes. So, the shutdown continues.
Most Americans favor immigration, and oppose a wall, as I wrote this week in Fortune. According to a poll from business insider, most Americans would rather see our shared resources put toward infrastructure, healthcare, or education than a wall at the border.
Where will it end? In recent days reports have focused on the possibility of the president declaring a national emergency. According to news reports, he would use the declaration to repurpose funding from either militaryfunds or disaster fundsfor Puerto Rico, Texas and California. If he takes from the military, he's admitting he thinks the military doesn't need the funds. If he takes from disaster funds, he's just plain heartless.
This is unconscionable, and it's dangerous for our democracy. The president's powers have been limited from the outset of our democracy to guard against authoritarianism, and a declaration of national emergency will almost certainly be met by lawsuits and congressional investigation.
This is no way to run a budget, and no way to run a government. Congress has the power to make things right, but it would take a bipartisan stand against the president.
Lindsay Koshgarian
Lindsay Koshgarian directs the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.
Editor's Note: This piece was originally published on Sat. Jan. 12, 2018 by National Priorities Project, a project of the Institute for Policy Studies.
It's day 22, and this government shutdown is officially the longest in American history.
Congress has the power to make things right, but it would take a bipartisan stand against the president.
This is bad governance. Our constitution makes clear that Congress, not the president, has the "power of the purse." This shutdown is a brazen power grab by the president, and so far, too many members of Congress have been willing to cede this power to the president when they could end it today with enough votes. So, the shutdown continues.
Most Americans favor immigration, and oppose a wall, as I wrote this week in Fortune. According to a poll from business insider, most Americans would rather see our shared resources put toward infrastructure, healthcare, or education than a wall at the border.
Where will it end? In recent days reports have focused on the possibility of the president declaring a national emergency. According to news reports, he would use the declaration to repurpose funding from either militaryfunds or disaster fundsfor Puerto Rico, Texas and California. If he takes from the military, he's admitting he thinks the military doesn't need the funds. If he takes from disaster funds, he's just plain heartless.
This is unconscionable, and it's dangerous for our democracy. The president's powers have been limited from the outset of our democracy to guard against authoritarianism, and a declaration of national emergency will almost certainly be met by lawsuits and congressional investigation.
This is no way to run a budget, and no way to run a government. Congress has the power to make things right, but it would take a bipartisan stand against the president.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.