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>> IN TWO WEEKS, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IS SCHEDULED TO RUN
OUT OF MONEY. ONCE AGAIN,
CONGRESS IS IN A STANDSTILL OVER
A BUDGET DEAL. FOR TONIGHT'S
INTERVIEW, WE TURN TO DAVID
WESSEL, A SENIOR FELLOW IN
ECONOMIC STUDIES AT THE
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION. DAVID,
IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN.
REMIND US BRIEFLY AGAIN WHY
WE'RE AT THIS PASS IN THE
BUDGETING PROCESS WELL, A
QUARTER OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET
REQUIRES APPROVAL OF CONGRESS
EVERY YEAR.
>> THAT'S THE MONEY THAT PAYS
SALARIES, PAYS ELECTRICITY, BUYS
BULLETS FOR SOLDIERS, BUYS
PAPERCLIPS FOR BUREAUCRATS. 75%
OF THE BUDGET IS ON AUTOPILOT.
INTEREST PAYMENTS, SOCIAL
SECURITY AND MEDICARE. CONGRESS
HAS FAILED TO PASS APPROPRIATION
BILLS FOR THE FULL FISCAL YEAR
BEFORE THE DEADLINE. EVERY YEAR
SINCE 1996. SO THE SYSTEM HAS
BEEN DECAYING OVER TIME, BUT NOW
IT'S REALLY BROKEN ENTIRELY,
LARGELY BECAUSE OF PARTIZAN
DIFFERENCES.
>> SO WHAT ARE THE STAKES IN
THIS? PARTICULAR YOU MENTIONED,
IT'S THAT SLIVER OF THE BUDGET.
ARE THE STAKES ANY DIFFERENT
THAN ALL OF THOSE PREVIOUS TIMES
YOU JUST ALLUDED TO?
>> WELL, YES AND NO. ONE THING
THAT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME IS
THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE VERY
LITTLE INTEREST ON THE PART OF
THE LEADERS OF CONGRESS IN
COMING TO A CONSENSUS. THE
REPUBLICANS WANT AND HAVE
PROPOSED IN THE HOUSE A BILL
THAT ESSENTIALLY EXTEND
GOVERNMENT FUNDING THROUGH
NOVEMBER 21st AT LAST YEAR'S
LEVELS. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE
DECIDED IT'S TIME FOR A FIGHT.
AND THEY'RE SAYING WE'RE NOT
GOING TO SUPPORT THIS UNLESS THE
REPUBLICANS AGREE TO RESTORE
SOME OF THE SPENDING CUTS TO
MEDICAID AND IMPORTANTLY, EXTEND
THE SUBSIDIES FOR PREMIUMS THAT
PEOPLE PAY UNDER THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT. AND THAT'S WHAT THE
STANDOFF IS RIGHT NOW. IT TAKES
60 VOTES IN THE SENATE TO GET AN
APPROPRIATIONS BILL THROUGH. THE
REPUBLICANS CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT
DEMOCRATS.
>> AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE
POLITICS HERE, THAT WOULD
INCLUDE POSSIBLY HAVING A
SHUTDOWN AND TRYING TO PIN THE
BLAME, ON REPUBLICANS FOR NOT
FUNDING THOSE TWO THINGS.
>> I THINK THE CHANCES OF A
SHUTDOWN ON SEPTEMBER 30th ARE
VERY HIGH. THE THE WHITE HOUSE
AND REPUBLICANS WILL BLAME
DEMOCRATS. DEMOCRATS WILL BLAME
REPUBLICANS. THE DEMOCRATS SEEM
TO HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY NEED
FOR CERTAINLY FOR THEIR BASE TO
SHOW THEY'RE STANDING UP TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE
REPUBLICANS. SO THEY SEEM TO BE
DETERMINED TO FORCE A SHUTDOWN.
BUT THIS COULD BE A BARGAINING
POSITION IF SENATE REPUBLICANS
AGREE TO RESTORE SOME OF THESE
MEDICAID SPENDING CUTS OR EXTEND
THE PREMIUM SUBSIDIES FOR THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. THIS COULD
GET RESOLVED. I THINK IT WILL
PROBABLY TAKE A SHUTDOWN BEFORE
THAT. ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
>> CHARACTERIZE, IF YOU WOULD,
FOR US, DAVID. THE WHITE HOUSE
POSITION ON BUDGETING AS THEY
ENGAGE FROM THE SIDELINES, AT
LEAST FOR THE MOMENT IN THIS
BUDGET FIGHT.
>> SO ONE THING THAT MAKES THIS
ADMINISTRATION VERY DIFFERENT
THAN OTHERS IS THAT IT HAS SAID
THAT WHEN CONGRESS PASSES AN
APPROPRIATION BILL THAT'S A
CEILING ON WHAT THE GOVERNMENT
NEEDS TO SPEND, NOT A FLOOR.
THIS IS KNOWN IN WASHINGTON AS
THE POWER OF THE PURSE. THE
WHITE HOUSE, PARTICULARLY THE
BUDGET DIRECTOR, RUSSELL VOUGHT,
HAVE EXERCISED UNUSUAL AUTHORITY
TO TRY AND NOT SPEND WHAT
CONGRESS HAS APPROPRIATED. AND
THAT'S REALLY UNDERLYING THIS
WHOLE DISPUTE.
>> AND ARE DEMOCRATS TRYING TO
GET INTO THAT FIGHT? WE HAVE
ABOUT 20s LEFT IN TERMS OF THAT
BUDGETING AUTHORITY. WHO HAS IT?
>> I THINK THEY WANT TO GET INTO
THAT FIGHT, BUT THEY THINK THAT
HEALTH IS A BETTER POLITICAL
ISSUE. MY GUESS IS THEY'LL MAKE
HEALTH THE ISSUE THIS TIME. AND
IF WE
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