Federal Budget? What does it mean when Congress will not pass a budget?

[slingshot]

Today's Fox Sunday interview with Boehner reminds me of something I just don't understand.  How can the Federal government continue spending more year after year without passing a budget?  I think this must be part of the problem.  You have the Obama budget which Congress doesn't like and you have House and Senate versions of the Budget that Obama doesn't like or never gets out one or both of the congressional bodies.

Something is wrong... no federal budget in 1000 days?

[lupinus]

Something is wrong...

Ya think?

[slingshot]

Yeah, I think.  It seems that we are loosing our democratic form of government by default.  I assume that the previous year's budget gets just added on to with "spending allocation bills", but that takes the people out of the process.

[longeyes]

I'll say it again: we don't need an election, we need a lock-out.  Send the children to their room.

[Fly320s]

As I understand it, much of the spending goes on regardless of "the budget.". Programs such as Social Security and all of the Medicare/Medicaid family are automatic and must be paid.

[slingshot]

I agree that the spending for Social Security and Medicaid goes on regardless.  But I would think the military budget has to be approved by Congress as well as many other programs.  So what is the purpose of the budget?  Is it an outdated concept for government?  Maybe the European countries are running on the same principle.

People want to reign in the "budget"; nothing effectively happens.  So, freeze the social security payments at 2012 levels and cut 10% off everything else.  I think the military can operate with less for a while.  Then make a good argument for anything more to be paid for.  Defund so called ObamaCare and then work to eliminate the law.

I heard a person on Fox saying talking about our military and the number of days that they typically serve in a "war theater" going from 100 days to over 1000 days.  They said that the military is operating as if it has 12 divisions and only has 10.

[longeyes]

If it's automatic who the heck needs Congress?

[charby]

People want to reign in the "budget"; nothing effectively happens.  So, freeze the social security payments at 2012 levels and cut 10% off everything else.  I think the military can operate with less for a while.  Then make a good argument for anything more to be paid for.  Defund so called ObamaCare and then work to eliminate the law.

Freezing SS payments would really suck for those who depend on it as the price of goods increases.

My parents are both on Railroad Retirement pension and thier COL increase each year is tied to COL of SS.

[longeyes]

We all know that we were never meant to depend on Social Security exclusively.

Politicians that aren't willing to talk turkey and disappoint broad constituencies are not doing anyone any good.

[TommyGunn]

Today's Fox Sunday interview with Boehner reminds me of something I just don't understand.  How can the Federal government continue spending more year after year without passing a budget?  I think this must be part of the problem.  You have the Obama budget which Congress doesn't like and you have House and Senate versions of the Budget that Obama doesn't like or never gets out one or both of the congressional bodies.

Something is wrong... no federal budget in 1000 days?

B-b-b-b-but iF they actually passed a budget .... they'd HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO CUT IT!!!!!!!!

I agree that the spending for Social Security and Medicaid goes on regardless.  But I would think the military budget has to be approved by Congress as well as many other programs.  So what is the purpose of the budget?  Is it an outdated concept for government?  Maybe the European countries are running on the same principle.

People want to reign in the "budget"; nothing effectively happens.  So, freeze the social security payments at 2012 levels and cut 10% off everything else.  I think the military can operate with less for a while.  Then make a good argument for anything more to be paid for.  Defund so called ObamaCare and then work to eliminate the law.

I heard a person on Fox saying talking about our military and the number of days that they typically serve in a "war theater" going from 100 days to over 1000 days.  They said that the military is operating as if it has 12 divisions and only has 10.

Nothing happens because it's entitlements that are the real primary cause of our problems.
You know what happens when you try to cut entitlements???
The people who receive them SCREEEEEETCH.
And the politicians the screeetchers vote for start circling the wagons.
So, unfortunatly, I see nothing really significant happening, until the makeup of kongress (and the oval office) is significantly changed.

[slingshot]

Freezing SS payments would really suck for those who depend on it as the price of goods increases.

There is the reason nothing happens.  Seniors vote.  Many depend on it as their sole source of income.  I wasn't talking about a permanent freeze on SS.  I know they are going to increase the retirement age from 62 to 65ish and 65 to 67.  When the system was designed, the majority of the retirees did not live past or much past retirement age.  Things have changed.  But everyone has been working and looking to the future as 65 being THE retirement age if not earlier.

[Monkeyleg]

Whatever budget there is, Obama has already spent. I read that he's already spent all of the federal budget for 2013 and 2014.

[slingshot]

If there is a budget at all.  :D

[HankB]

Freezing SS payments would really suck for those who depend on it as the price of goods increases. 

My mother is getting a small increase in her SS benefit for 2012 - her benefits have been frozen for several years.

What happened to Boehner's pre-election pledge to set the budget back to 2008 levels? He's been mighty quiet about that since he ascended to Speaker. 

[longeyes]

There is the reason nothing happens.  Seniors vote.  Many depend on it as their sole source of income.  I wasn't talking about a permanent freeze on SS.  I know they are going to increase the retirement age from 62 to 65ish and 65 to 67.  When the system was designed, the majority of the retirees did not live past or much past retirement age.  Things have changed.  But everyone has been working and looking to the future as 65 being THE retirement age if not earlier.

If we didn't have the individual tax burden we have and if we inculcated the virtue of saving and if we were not so dispersed and alienated as families we would not have the economic issues we have; we would not be pitting the young against the old, among other things.  What appear to be economic issues always reduce to moral and cultural issues.

[MicroBalrog]

The simple answer (not "easy", but simple) is that all human communities support their old. There is archaeological evidence that even the stone age humans continued feeding and supporting the old long after they could no longer hunt or gather for themselves.

But doing it through state coercion pits old against young in the same way that graduated income taxes foment class warfare.

[Waitone]

No budget because of a specific democrat strategy.  A budget clearly states priorities which republicans will target.  Failure to put up a budget allows democrats to demonize republicans.  Actually a pretty effective strategy by democrats.