Default deal finally done
The psalmist this Sunday says that the Lord, guardian of Israel, “neither slumbers nor sleeps,” while the second reading encourages us to “be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient.” Sleepless nights and persistence finally achieved a deal . . .
The psalmist this Sunday says that the Lord, guardian of Israel, “neither slumbers nor sleeps,” while the second reading encourages us to “be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient.” Sleepless nights and persistentce finally achieved a deal that reopens the federal government and raise the nation’s debt ceiling. But damage has been done.
Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, said on the floor of the U.S. Senate that his party and Republicans had found their way to a compromise to “provide our economy with the stability it desperately needs” and avert financial disaster. His Republican counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell, offered his blessing: “This is far less than many of us had hoped for, frankly, but is far better than what some had sought.”
There was no sign that Republicans had extracted any major concessions on President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, as some had hoped, other than possibly tighter scrutiny on who gets federal subsidies for insurance.
House Speaker John Boehner that he would allow a vote in the House, suggesting it would pass with overwhelming Democratic support and enough Republicans to win a majority. “We fought the good fight,” he said. “We just didn’t win.”
The compromise would fund the federal government through January 15 and extend the borrowing power, known as the debt ceiling, through February 7. It also calls for an agreement by mid-December on a long-term budget plan.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona gave a nod to bipartisanship but was in no mood to celebrate. “I think it’s obvious that we are now seeing the end of this agonizing odyssey that this body has been put through, but far more importantly the American people have been put through,” he told the Senate. “It’s one of the more shameful chapters that I have seen in the years that I have spent here in the Senate.”
The White House commended the Senate for its leadership, but Jay Carney, the press secretary, was quick to remind reporters of the economic damage already done. “There are no winners here,” he said. “The American people have paid a price for this. And nobody who’s sent here to Washington by the American people can call themselves a winner if the American people have paid a price for what’s happened.”
Homily hint: There are likely a number of people in your congregation who suffered economically during this period. It is time that we, as members of caring communities, come together to help those hurt most directly to recover and move forward—and to let our elected representatives know we do not appreciate livelihoods and government services being used as political bargaining chips.
Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, said on the floor of the U.S. Senate that his party and Republicans had found their way to a compromise to “provide our economy with the stability it desperately needs” and avert financial disaster. His Republican counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell, offered his blessing: “This is far less than many of us had hoped for, frankly, but is far better than what some had sought.”
There was no sign that Republicans had extracted any major concessions on President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, as some had hoped, other than possibly tighter scrutiny on who gets federal subsidies for insurance.
House Speaker John Boehner that he would allow a vote in the House, suggesting it would pass with overwhelming Democratic support and enough Republicans to win a majority. “We fought the good fight,” he said. “We just didn’t win.”
The compromise would fund the federal government through January 15 and extend the borrowing power, known as the debt ceiling, through February 7. It also calls for an agreement by mid-December on a long-term budget plan.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona gave a nod to bipartisanship but was in no mood to celebrate. “I think it’s obvious that we are now seeing the end of this agonizing odyssey that this body has been put through, but far more importantly the American people have been put through,” he told the Senate. “It’s one of the more shameful chapters that I have seen in the years that I have spent here in the Senate.”
The White House commended the Senate for its leadership, but Jay Carney, the press secretary, was quick to remind reporters of the economic damage already done. “There are no winners here,” he said. “The American people have paid a price for this. And nobody who’s sent here to Washington by the American people can call themselves a winner if the American people have paid a price for what’s happened.”
Homily hint: There are likely a number of people in your congregation who suffered economically during this period. It is time that we, as members of caring communities, come together to help those hurt most directly to recover and move forward—and to let our elected representatives know we do not appreciate livelihoods and government services being used as political bargaining chips.
Source: An article by Michael O'Briend for NBC News