99% of my posts are opinion an make allusions to factors few people know or care about.

Sometimes one needs to teach.
How Congress make a budget;
There are 14 different budgets each with their own committee chairman which are voted upon separately by Congress. The money was addd to each budget from the bottom up.
Then the Republicans had a good idea. "Lets provide money from the top down and we will save money." Who is charge of the top budget number?
Treasury!

The Chairmen lost power and whoever appoints Treasury won.


Now we play chicken with the budget beginning with Newt Gingrich.
No budget - no government.

That is what a government shut down is. Congress has returned lost wages out of the goodness of their heart . They do not have to.
Congress can pass one budget but not another. That Congress does nothing is a deliberate choice by those in charge which is all in the hands of the Republicans who now claim - its all the Democrats fault.
This is why Congressional approval rating is 11%