North Central College in the News

North Central College dean interviewed on FOX 32 Chicago

Oct 01, 2021

Stephen Maynard Caliendo discussed how lawmakers rushed to pass bill to avoid government shutdown

President Biden signed a bill Thursday, Sept. 30 extending government funding through Dec. 3, averting a partial shutdown hours before current funding expired. The bill passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support earlier in the day. The legislation, which also includes $28.6 billion in emergency disaster aid and $6.3 billion to help resettle Afghan evacuee, passed 65-35 in the Senate, and 254 to 175 a few hours later in the House.

Democrats had initially sought to attach a suspension of the debt ceiling to the funding bill, but Republicans have refused to vote to increase the government’s borrowing limit, tanking that effort in the Senate. The continuing partisan battle over the debt has pushed lawmakers right to the Oct. 1 funding deadline, though Congress often extends government spending at the last minute.

Stephen Maynard Caliendo, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Central College, was interviewed on FOX 32 Chicago, where he discussed how the rush to pass a bill and avoid a government shutdown is only a temporary solution.

“The federal government is only allowed to spend x amount of dollars more than it has in it at any given time and run up a debt that will be paid back later,” said Caliendo. “Some fiscal conservatives are very concerned that raising that will be problematic.”

Click here to watch the full interview on FOX 32 Chicago.