Being an intern in Washington DC is a privilege at any point in time. I feel especially lucky to be an intern when DC is the talk of the world. Being a political junkie I have followed the debt crisis religiously since arriving in DC. Living with a moderate, a right wing nut and two left wing nuts the debt crisis has been the focal point of every conversation.
Every night, when my roommates and I return home from our respective internship sites, the news is on and the newspapers are circulating. The debt crisis has infiltrated our lives completely. My right wing roommate even held a CCB party; Cut Cap and Balance, as we watched the votes on the House floor via Cspan. Moreover, the debt discussions amongst my roommates has gotten so intense we have had to use parliamentary procedure to make sure everyone gets there allotted five minute time to speak. This is known as our nightly committee hearing. The debt crisis and political jargon has infected our brains to the point were we have committee meetings in our dorm room!
I must say, when I first got to DC and began following the debt crisis closely I believed the debt ceiling would be raised and the Obama administration would be able to work out a bi-partisan plan that raised revenue and made the necessary cuts. Now, five days away until the U.S. defaults on its debt, I am not sure if democracy will prove its worth. With freshman congressman and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell believing there only goal is to make President Obama a one term President it is hard to believe a long-term deal will be struck. Instead, Congress, mainly House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, will force Obama to either use his executive power or kick the can down the road so that the debt crisis can be blamed solely on the Democratic party and President Obama come the 2012 election.
Spending time on Capitol Hill is exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time. Each time I have gone to the Hill there seems to be more buzz in the air then the previous time as August 2nd approaches. While it is exciting, it is also disappointing. I honestly believe that Congress is not even considering the next generation that is going to inherit the economy; every single Representative is too concerned with representing their party and not representing the United States of America. Some argue that the founding fathers intended it to be this way, I say if Congress is still working this close to there precious month of August, we have major issues that may result in a historical collapse .