Congressional Democrats and Republicans typically “compromise” on spending issues by satisfying both sides and increasing the deficit. With that in mind, why is the GOP balking at providing needed funds for hospitals and state and local governments, particularly since it is delaying additional payments to their PBP constituents?
Frankly, I’m at a loss to explain the hostility to hospitals under the current circumstances, but the state and local government part is obvious. A large portion of the GOP basically hates government–even state and local governments it controls–and views the imposition of furloughs and salary cuts on public employees as a positive development. It’s their way of getting back at the deep state, I suppose.
It won’t work in the end, because even GOP voters demand a decent level of local services, and aid to state and local governments was one of the most cost-effective ways of saving jobs in 2009. For now, however, everyone suffers unnecessarily.