DHS 1 Week Extension

Lawmakers narrowly avoided a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security and furloughing thousands of employees Friday when they reached a last-minute deal to approve a one-week funding measure for the department. Just two hours before the midnight deadline, the House voted 357 to 60 to fund the department for one week. The Senate passed the measure earlier in the evening by a voice vote. (ABC News)

Really? Does anyone truely believe that Congress and the President were going to allow something as vital as DHS to shut down? From an innocuous standpoint, this seems more akin to high theater and pretty harmless. But from a different point of view, it could appear to be brinksmanship and dirty political games with the safety of the American people … at the very least, it’s insensitive horseplay with our emotional well-being. How many Americans were afraid? How many have unplugged from even remaining informed, let alone engaged?
DARPA turns PM’s over every four years with the odd exception of the unusual game changer that becomes indispensable to numerous Programs. DARPA does that because it infuses the organization with a constant flow of new ideas and new thought processes. Why are there not term limits on our legislators (there are of course, but no limit to the number of times a member can be re-elected)? We have term limits on the Executive Branch. I guess the Almighty puts term limits on the Judicial Branch … but I could argue those aren’t strict enough either. How about submitting the Supreme Court Justices to constitutional and competency reviews every four years? Now there’s an exciting thought.
Government contractors must continue to add value throughout their period of service, and then the contract is re-competed regardless of performance. This is as it should be and the American people deserve that level of protection. Why shouldn’t the American people be entitled to the same level of oversight when it comes to their government?
Just a Thought