US budget dispute that’s really about political power, not money
When a Budget Fight Becomes a Battle for Power
The United States finds itself once again at the mercy of procedural paperwork made emotional — a partial government shutdown because Congress failed to pass the stopgap spending bill that keeps federal paychecks flowing and services running. On paper, the dispute looks technical: a few pages of appropriations law and a deadline on the calendar. In practice, it has become a pitched political battle over health-care subsidies, presidential authority and the very idea of…