After Congress failed to pass a resolution to continue funding the government on Monday night, one professor said it might take another fight to end the government shutdown.
David Canon, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said he expected the struggle in Congress to come to a head when the time comes to extend the federal debt ceiling -- a vote that’s expected to take place in about two weeks when the U.S. Treasury runs out of borrowing authority.
If the debt ceiling isn't extended, the government will not be able to pay for debts already incurred.
“That’s a much more … catastrophic event than the government shutdown,” Canon said. “That would truly trigger an economic crisis, so something has to happen by then.”
At that point, he said he expects Republicans to come up with both a "clean" short-term measure, free of additional conditions, to fund the government, and another to raise the debt ceiling.
“No one wants that kind of economic calamity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Canon said he thinks it’s “a real possibility” that the partial government shutdown will continue for at least two weeks.
Even though there are enough votes in Congress, Republicans included, to pass a short-term measure to fund the government, he said the lack of a majority within the Republican party itself will continue to stymie an actual vote.
