Riley: Accountant supermarket manager nasal spray fluticasone On the crisis side, she cited the fiscal cliff, the debt ceiling, sequestration and the (since-averted) possibility of a government shutdown. These artificial crises have hampered the country's ability to deal with other challenges, she said, including "national security challenges as we transition out of Afghanistan. We know our roads, bridges, airports and airways are in disrepair. We know there are major gaps in access to affordable, high-quality early education. And yet we struggle to get anything done that isn't attached to a pressing deadline."