Letter to the editor: Leaders should be penalized for budget inaction

Invariably, another nail-biter on funding the government is met with continuing resolution to fund the government until Nov. 17 and avoid a shutdown. This extension allows Congress another 48 days to do its work.

Have we all forgotten the long-standing fiscal year (June-July) was established in 1873? Then, in 1974, Congress changed the fiscal year to Sept. 30-Oct. 1 to allow Congress more time to work on the budgets and corresponding bills. And if one looks back over the past nearly 50 years, how many times did the government shut down, and how many continuing resolutions were enacted due to our inept Congress?

Time to enact a penalty on our elected congressional people’s pay for every day a budget is not passed by Sept. 30.

Thomas McDonnell

Greensburg