OPINION:
As a voter, I am disappointed that our public officials cannot apply commonsense principles to the running of America.
Why are we in this situation, and what is the logic behind it? We have a national debt of more than $30 trillion, so why are the Senate Democrats asking to restore misused taxpayer money? We should all agree to fiscal responsibility, but one of the many reasons for this shutdown was the opposite. I cannot understand why Senate Democrats would think freezing our government was the proper approach or why they refused to find a consensus earlier.
Federal employees and state contractors are facing massive job losses because of demands that, in my opinion, defy common sense. They reject all the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency. It seems that, once again, Democrats are on the wrong side of budgetary accountability. They offer no strategy for reducing the deficit; they have only more spending demands. It was a financial mistake to provide free housing, free health care and welfare benefits to illegal immigrants at the expense of taxpayers. Now our insurance rates must be increased to cover the expansion. My mom recently received notice that her health insurance policy cost will rise 100% starting Nov. 1.
Now the chickens have come home to roost. Some jobs will be lost forever and programs (including some of value) will be eliminated while these obstructionists keep getting paychecks.
The House passed the clean continuing resolution, and the Senate must do the same. Voters need to remind Senate Democrats that this is the wrong time and the wrong battle. The government must be reopened so that an agreement on fiscal responsibility, health care benefits and solutions that prioritize taxpayers over illegal migrants can be restored.
GREG RALEIGH
Washington
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