Mike Quigley: “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has described the Republican House and Senate as a ``responsible right-of- center…”

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has described the Republican House and Senate as a ``responsible right-of- center governing majority.'' But how responsible is it that we are about to start a new fiscal year with no plan for how to fund our government? We are hours away from a shutdown, and Congress has yet to even begin budget negotiations. Instead of doing the job the American people sent us here to do, we are celebrating that maybe we have found a way to keep the government open for 2 months--2 months. That is what we consider a bipartisan victory these days. Now, we may prevent a shutdown today, but let's be clear. Doing the bare minimum to keep the government from closing is not responsible. It is hardly governing at all. The American people sent us here to take on the big issues and to get things done. They want us to fight for infrastructure, for education, for jobs, not just to keep the lights on. We are letting partisan games get in the way of governing, and it is not only hurting our government, it is hurting our constituents. Unreliable, unpredictable short-term funding prevents the government from operating effectively and efficiently, and it costs taxpayers money. We are short-term funding, and we are ignoring changes in our policy priorities and restricting agencies from shifting dollars around to meet emerging challenges.…”