Government Shutdown Would Cancel Washington Festival

Little bells of spring along the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda, MD

Tomorrow, April 9, thousands of people are scheduled to converge upon the Nation’s Capital.

They plan to line up along Constitution Avenue from 10:00 am to noon to watch the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade®, an annual event in which – together with floats and balloons – marching bands from throughout the country will appear to proudly demonstrate their skills and love of country. 

Any school teacher, administrator of music arts, or band parent can tell you how much time, planning, practice, organizational skills and money goes into one of these trips.  Band parents are especially proud to see their kids perform; and the kids? . . . well it goes without saying.

But tomorrow, unless our President and the leaders of both chambers of Congress get their act together, there will be no parade.  That’s because none of these parties have agreed yet on the amount of cuts that will finally get a budget passed through the Senate and the House, and on the President’s desk for signature into law.

Officials from the White House to the Capitol have been diddling with this for weeks, if not months.  Disagreement revolves not only around the amount by which to cut the budget, but around at least several riders which concern the funding of controversial programs.

If there is no consensus by midnight tonight, one of three things will happen:  

1. Government operations will shut down and only essential services will be funded (no parade!).  The pay of military personnel would also be cut off, and many other governmental operations will be suspended.

2. An agreement will be reached and the budget goes to the President for signature.

3. With no budget agreement, Congress and the President could still agree on a continuing resolution that would keep things going while the President and legislators continue to hammer out the issues

Keep your fingers crossed that a deal is cut, that the soldiers get paid, and the kids get to march . . . Take care of yourselves and thanks for reading.

(Click on the image for an enhanced view.)