Attempted Suicide

The G.O.P., America’s conservative pro-business political party, has decided it wants to stop the president’s health care program at any cost.  Thus throwing 800,000 government employees of out of work is not too high a price to pay, in their view, if their goal is reached.

Here is a list of some of the departments and programs that will be affected.

• Internal Revenue Service call centers will close
• 90 percent of Environmental Protection Agency
• National parks and museums will be shuttered
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• Export-Import Bank of the United States
• Federal Communications Commission
• Federal Trade Commission
• National Science Foundation
• National Labor Relations Board
• US Postal Service Inspector General
• USDA – Rural Development
• Civilian military workers (Department of Defense) – 400,000 people or ½ of staff
• Department of Interior – 58,000 people
• Department of Justice – 17,000 people
• Department of Labor – 13,000 people
• Department of Commerce – 40,000 people

CNN provided their detailed list.

The U.S. debt ceiling will be reached on October 17.  If the Republicans tie that limit to funding of the government I predict an impact on stock markets around the world.

While the United States will survive this self-inflicted wound, the country will be significantly diminished in the eyes of the world.