Adrift: The 2013 Government Shutdown

Reprinted with permission from Benedict's Maritime Bulletin. 

The 2013 Federal government shutdown is old news, and many have hailed the Murray-Ryan budget compromise reached at the end of 2012 as the beginning of a new era of cooperation and bipartisanship. But looking closely at the budget compromise, the only real agreement is to keep the government open, if only temporarily, and many of the fundamental disagreements remain unresolved and simmering. Considering the continued divide in the electorate, particularly the enormous pressure from the right that continues to confront moderate Republicans, and the looming debt ceiling, it’s worth taking a look at how the shutdown impacted the maritime industry during the last round, and where stakeholders might be vulnerable the next time congressional stalemate hits.