Could Syria Lead To Fiscal Armageddon Back Home?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/09/syria-government-shutdown-cr-default-debt-limit.php?ref=fpb

Could Syria Lead To Fiscal Armageddon Back Home?
Sahil Kapur September 6, 2013, 7:00 AM

The congressional debate over whether to authorize President Barack Obama’s push to attack Syria is poised to bleed into at least next week, when Congress officially returns to session and faces tight deadlines to avert fiscal Armageddon this fall.

When Congress reconvenes Monday, it has just nine working days to keep the government funded past Sept. 30, and an additional seven working days after that to ensure the country can continue to meet its debt service obligations beyond mid-October.

Leaders in both chambers have promised Syria votes next week. A Senate committee has approved a resolution to strike Syria. Its House counterpart has held hearings, but the House Republican majority hasn’t yet drafted its own resolution, so nothing has advanced out of committee yet. All of which means the debate over military action will eat up part of the calendar next week.

“Instead of coming into session next week and diving right into a budget debate, we will be debating Syria and budget issues will be on the back burner,” said a senior Democratic aide. “This means that after Syria is finished, the (government funding) debate will be extremely compressed and the debt limit debate will be shorter.”