TheSource.com follows the government shutdown as it goes into Day 9
As the Government Shutdown goes into its ninth day of federal building closings and furloughs of federal workers, President Obama has stated that he is willing to negotiate with House Speaker John Boehner to negotiate, but only when he agrees to end the shutdown.
“We can’t make extortion routine when dealing with our government”, said President Obama on Tuesday.
Raising the debt ceiling has become synonymous with talks of the government shutdown, being that it is a financial crisis that has the legislative and executive arms of our government in a deadlock. Democrats have warned that if the debt ceiling is not raised by October 17th, that our country could face an irreversible financial catastrophe. Currently, the debt ceiling is at $16.6 trillion. The Republicans want to end the government shutdown by adding a bill that would increase the nation’s borrowing authority, however, the Dems fear that an extremely high debt ceiling will send the government into financial default.
According to a CNN poll, 58% of Americans say that it’s a bad idea to raise the debt ceiling while 38% agree that it’s the only option.
In the meantime, over a half million government workers are still idle. A bill to make sure that furloughed workers receive back pay was passed by the House last weekend, however, it has not yet been scheduled for a Senate vote.
One particular group is estactic about the shutdown, While the nearly empty plazas aren’t being policed amid the shutdown, skateboarders have taken to the marble steps of the government buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue.
-Sha Be Allah(@KingPenStatus)
