WORLD ON THE BRINK OF ANOTHER CRISIS

While the whole world is alarmed at the “government shutdown” crisis in USA, the experts warn about a possibility of a bigger crisis if the Republicans and the Democrats cannot come to an agreement. The House and the Senate couldn't agree on the new fiscal year budget to fund the government, and as a result the government shutdown kicked in, causing many federal agencies to shut their doors 17 years later and sending almost 800 thousand federal employees home without pay. Turkey, like the rest of the world, is anxiously following the issue. 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Balkan Devlen, Lecturer at Izmir University of Economics Department of Political Science and International Relations, pointed this wasn’t the first crisis America experienced and said, “The whole world is anxiously following up on the news of US Federal government shutting down and sending non-essential employees home. This is not the first time for a government shutdown. Since the Health Reform Legislation of USA President Barack Obama's Obamacare passed congress in 2009, the tension between republicans and democrats increased substantially. But the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House, especially after 2010 when republicans gained majority, are at odds over health reform and debt ceiling (debt limit). This happens every year, and now we are seeing another showdown.”

The budget pressures Obama

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Devlen, reminded that last year the Republicans opposed to increasing of debt ceiling for the federal government almost causing a government shutdown which was avoided with a last minute agreement. Devlen said the debt ceiling issue would be on the agenda again in November, and stated the following:

“This may even cause a bigger problem over budget debates. If the debt ceiling is not increased, USA will have to stop paying for its debts. The current crisis is based on the Tea Party supporters within the Democrat Party opposing heavily to Obama’s health care plan. They want to cancel this reform, or if that’s not possible, stop the funding for it. The budget needs to pass the Congress and submitted to the President by the Congress. Right now, the Republican-controlled House budget and the Democratic-controlled Senate budget are different. Only one budget needs to be submitted by the Congress. When the budget does not pass, the federal government cannot make expenses.”

Election salvos by politicians

Assoc. Prof. Devlen reminded that during the 1995 – 1996 shutdown, the Americans punished the Republicans in the elections. He said, “The voters, then, held the Democrat Party responsible for the government shutdown and punished them. Next year there will be an election for the House of Representatives, and this crisis poses a risk to many Republicans. I don’t believe even the radicals such as Tea Party supporters will last long. In the end, they will want to be re-elected like all the other politicians. Therefore, we can say this “government shutdown” will last no more than couple of weeks.”