U.S. government shutdown ends – reaction from USApp experts, updated

On Wednesday night Congress came to an agreement to end the US-government’s 16 day shutdown, and to raise the debt ceiling until at least early February. We asked our expert contributors for their immediate reactions to the agreement. •The political realities that brought about the government shutdown and the debt crisis have not changed - Joshua Huder – Georgetown University •The consensus-building role of women was crucial to ending the government shutdown. - Craig Volden, University of Virginia, Alan E. Wiseman, Vanderbilt University and Dana E. Wittmer, Colorado College. •The bipartisan compromise budget and debt ceiling deal is a temporary fix - Rosalyn Cooperman – University of Mary Washington. •No trust has been built between the important players – Michele Swers -Georgetown University. •The role of the “Wall Street Wing” of the Republican Party has become even more important now. – Roy Meyers – University of Maryland. The political realities that brought about the government shutdown and the debt crisis have not changed Joshua Huder is a a Senior Fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University

In the aftermath of the Senate’s “nuclear option,” efforts should be made to reform, rather than eliminate the filibuster

Since Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid used the so-called “nuclear option” to essentially end the filibuster on most presidential nominations on Thursday, there has been considerable speculation over the future of the filibuster on legislation. Joshua Huder argues that the filibuster, when used correctly, can foster bipartisanship and calls for it to be reformed rather than eliminated. He goes on to give specific recommendations on how to adjust the filibuster so it can once again incentivize the parties to work together

The Hastert rule is severely limiting Speaker John Boehner’s ability to negotiate a compromise over the shutdown

In response to Newt Gingrich’s tumultuous term as House Speaker in the 1990s, his successor, Dennis Hastert, took a much more consensual leadership style, bringing no bill to the House floor unless supported by a majority of the majority party. This informal arrangement is now known as the ‘Hastert Rule’. Joshua Huder and Marian Currinder look at how the strict adherence to this rule by current Speaker John Boehner has led to the two most recent Congresses being the least productive since the Civil War, and is a direct cause of the current deadlock over the government’s funding bill and the debt limit. They argue that if Boehner really believes in keeping the government open, he may have to set aside the Hastert Rule for the time being