GOP Serious About Government Shut Down. Solution: Cut Them Off First.

From an article by Jim Vandehei, Mike Allen, and Jake Sherman from Politico:

House Republicans are seriously entertaining dramatic steps, including default or shutting down the government, to force President Barack Obama to finally cut spending by the end of March.

The idea of allowing the country to default by refusing to increase the debt limit is getting more widespread and serious traction among House Republicans than people realize, though GOP leaders think shutting down the government is the much more likely outcome of the spending fights this winter.

“I think it is possible that we would shut down the government to make sure President Obama understands that we’re serious,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state told us. “We always talk about whether or not we’re going to kick the can down the road. I think the mood is that we’ve come to the end of the road.”

Here is a simple solution to the prospect of a government shutdown - cut off services to Republicans first.

The Republican party is eager to shut down the government or make the government default in order to score some policy wins and they do not care who suffers for their ignorance.  For instance, the debt ceiling only allows the government to continue making payments on outstanding debts.  It does not authorize new spending, but the GOP do not care about that and insist entitlement reform and budgetary cuts (to everything but their pet projects) must be included in any deal to increase the limit.  If the Democrats do not cave the GOP will force the government to grind to a halt and if that is their wishes and they should be the ones to feel the effects first.

Cut off any benefits they may receive from the government.  Travel.  Healthcare.  Franking.  Salary.  Staff.  Offices.  End them all.  Why should the GOP benefit while they attempt to make everyone else suffer?