By Charles Riley, the journalist published first staff: April 9, 2011: 12: 26 AM andNEW YORK (CNNMoney)--and the 190th day of the fiscal year, Congress promulgated... yet another temporary spending legislation.
It - the seventh - is billed as a bridge to a real budget that would set levels approximately $ 38 billion below, where organizations began the year expenses.
And this allowed Congress to strictly avoid a shutdown of the Government.
But not before Congress--with President Obama mostly just out of sight, sometimes the legislators of reprimand to an agreement - takes the nation on a harrowing tour.
As know even school children, Congress has the responsibility of the necessary funds for the Government to spend. This is Article 1 of the Constitution. But this year and we will not mache words - legislators fell on employment.
Of course, short-term spending bills are new. The Congress has adopted at least annually for the last three 30. But seven in one year? How did it come to this?
President Obama first proposed a budget for the fiscal year 2011 February 1, 2010. It was more than 14 months ago.
If the process has worked as expected, Congress would have taken a blow of eye to the suggestions of the Chairman. Legislators on budget committees have fixed target spending levels, and appropriations committees would have hammered out spending plans to adapt.
The result was supposed to be 12 separate appropriations bills. Congress would have voted on each and moved to the Office of the President. Which assumed themselves to produce prior to October 1, the beginning of the year.
Here is what the Congress has failed to do: the House produced two of the 12 appropriations bills. The Senate did not vote on a single. Legislators could not even agree on their own legislative budget.
And these two votes of House? They happened in July, when the Democrats had huge majorities in the House and the Senate, with Obama in the White House.
Why the Democrats did not take measures more when they had the chance remains somewhat of a mystery. Don't forget, even Congress moved heaven and Earth to fix the health care and of Wall Street reform legislation.
In the absence of a budget for the year, legislators have rather spent seven spending bills in the short term, called "continuing resolutions." Designed to fill gaps in the short term appropriations, Congress has approved one after another to keep the Government running.
The punt of budget has implications for effective governance.
Continuing resolutions, with the exception of the two most recent efforts by the Congress, freeze expenditure at the level of the previous year.
The forces of the Federal agencies in a head from flapping game of unmitigated. Hiring is delayed, work is repeated and organizations strive to implement the new legislation. The uncertainty is King, with organizations to guess what might be their level of funding for the year.
Just ask the Securities and Exchange Commission, which strives to implement the new Wall Street last year staffing monitoring Act.
Add to the threat of imminent closure Government coming around, on average, once per month and it is easy to see why agencies pray armoury stops the budget soon.
As if to call attention to their own failure, Republicans and Democrats spend several months show high - profile calls for a return to the responsible budgeting.
The last impasse had legislators turn to the precipice as they argued on billions of dollars and a set of policy issues - such as abortion, which were inserted into the debate.
There were several meetings the White House and hours in which aid earnest attempted to reach an agreement.
That would happen? Congress has given himself a week to pass a budget and avoid once more a judgment. You see Friday.
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