Last Friday night, congressional leaders came together to avoid a Federal Shutdown. But only a week later, long term budget questions have come to the surface.

This week, the House will vote on a Medicare bill that could shape the next election as well as the future of the budget. The Republican’s proposed budget will change the federal government from the insurer to the subsidizer of private insurance plans.

Democrats say that this proposal is dismantling Medicare, while Republicans say that this is an essential plan to cut the federal deficit. Either way, the vote clearly will be important for the future.