Congress again waits until last minute to do the bare minimum

Congratulations Congress. You’ve managed to do it again. The bare minimum. Once again, Congress waited until the very last minute to avoid a shutdown of the federal government. On Friday, just hours before federal funding was set to expire, President Trump signed into law yet another stopgap spending bill. This is another temporary funding measure, and while it keeps the federal government running, it does little else, other than send our lawmakers home on holiday. Because once again our elected officials failed to address the big issues facing this country. When they return to work in the new year, they will again fight over spending levels, and will have to appropriate new funding for a fiscal year already three months old. They have put off fights over the Dreamers facing possible deportation. Lack of action puts off difficult decisions on the National Security Agency’s expiring surveillance program. Funding for hurricanes and wildfires will have to wait until Congress gets back to work. The plate remains full, with little sign of any sudden compromise. Looks like it will be a messy start to 2018.