Congress leaves for its summer break in August (thereafter it will do little but pass appropriations bills).
Because Democrats did not pass appropriations bills last year, the government has been operating since October with appropriations continuing at the previous fiscal year's levels.
But the failure to pass appropriations measures this year would prove an embarrassment for the Republican leaders of the House and Senate, who have repeatedly criticized Democrats for failing to pass spending bills last year.
However, since then he had come to believe that "we were misled into the war" and urged the Democratically controlled Congress to refuse to pass appropriations bills to fund the war if they don't include timetables for leaving Iraq.
He's the tl dr version of it: in 1975, Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam had a small majority in the House of Representatives, but the Opposition-controlled Senate refused to pass appropriations bills, creating a deadlock.
Whereas Boehner tried to pass appropriations bills under "open rules" -- meaning anyone could offer an amendment -- Ryan is now recommending that the House use "structured rules" for spending bills, meaning GOP leadership decides which amendments get a vote.
In fact, when Congress fails to enact a budget, fails to pass appropriations bills, and fails to reauthorize current laws, power and decision-making increasingly shifts to the Executive Branch.
