I was a young USAF officer serving a one-year assignment with Air Force Legislative Liaison on The Hill (US Congress) back in the 1970s.

The US Fiscal Year budget cycle was originally based upon a Fiscal Year start of 1 July. But because because the US Congress was repeatedly failing to meet that date, in 1974 the Congress gave itself a grace period and changed that requirement to October 1.

Within two years our Congress again began to fail in meeting that requirement. Thus the Continuing Resolution Authority (CRA) became the norm. No new projects; but continue at present levels the authorized/appropriated programs.

Now, some almost 50 years later, we see the same, dare I say, perennial “Government Shutdown” crisis self-perpetuating as our elected US officials appear to create their own annual crisis in order to leverage their personal/constituents’ “pet projects” agenda.

Congress is not in session this weekend (2324 September). Why? If our nation’s budget is not that important to our nation and the people they represent, what is?

Winston Churchill was the master of “Never let a good crisis go to waste”; but when our elected leaders willingly choose to repeatedly create their own crisis, to the detriment of good governance and the hard-working people who drive our economy, I have to wonder if they care about their pledge to serve our nation or have another motive.

John Dallager Colorado Springs