Are the Republicans setting the country up to fail next year?

No. They are just scraping the last few crumbs out of the national coffers before the world bank arrives to foreclose on the farm. And that process started back in Nixons time and has been added to by each administration in turn, from both sides. The rich pay less tax, the poor get less services and printed money can take up the slack. Just keep writing international IOUs. $25 Trillion debt and counting. Thats over $65,000 for every man woman and child in The United States.