At the time of writing , the United States government has been shut down for 19 days. The shutdown began because Republican and Democratic politicians couldn’t agree on how to spend the federal budget. Now, the disagreement in our government has caused increasing stress for Americans as many are facing federal layoffs, lack of pay and removal of necessary services.
The government initially shut down after Republicans attempted to pass a short-term funding bill in the chambers of the U.S. Congress. The bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, but did not make it through the U.S. Senate.
In the U.S. Senate, Democrats are refusing to sign the proposed bill as it does not include a plan to extend the Affordable Care Act, which is set to expire at the end of the year. The ACA was passed in 2010 under President Barack Obama, which has helped over 50 million Americans gain access to affordable healthcare and be covered under the ACA’s health insurance marketplace in the last decade. Today, more than 24 million Americans have ACA health insurance, which is currently at risk.
Since the initial shutdown Oct. 1, the Senate has been unable to negotiate. Democrats have voted “no” 10 times on the GOP-led stopgap, which proposes funding to the government through Nov. 21. However, the stopgap lacks any discussion of healthcare costs or the ACA extension, which Democrats are holding out on a deal for. The party has chosen to withhold votes on issues until their demands are met and there is a healthcare plan for the American people.
As the arguing continues in Washington with Democrats refusing to budge and Republicans refusing to negotiate, Americans face the brutal effects of the government shutdown.
Since the shutdown, 600,000 workers have been suspended from work, and around 4,000 people have been laid off from their jobs at federal agencies. This number includes more than 465 Education Department staff and more than 400 people working in Housing and Urban Development. Crucial federal employees have lost their jobs and income for their families due to the government's inability to agree.
However, Susan Yvonne Illston, a federal judge in California, has granted a temporary restraining order to block the Trump administration from firing more federal workers, allowing for a moment of reprieve for employees. Though this is not a permanent fix.
Not only are people facing the danger of losing their jobs, but others are facing a possible removal of government-provided resources such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. SNAP benefits are used by food-insecure Americans to buy and purchase food using the electronic benefits given by the program. The program provides benefits for over 42 million Americans, but if the government shutdown continues, there will not be enough funds to pay November SNAP benefits. Meaning, millions of Americans could go hungry if the government does not reach an agreement.
The uncertainty that has come from the ongoing government shutdown is plaguing Americans. In interviews, mayors in cities such as Kansas City, Missouri; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Minneapolis and Cleveland told NBC News they’re hearing from their residents about the fear, economic insecurity and sheer anger over such chaos.
America’s federal employees are either working and receiving no paycheck or have been let go. There is no end to the government shutdown in sight, and as this persists, so does the struggle of our country’s very own.
The Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage. The Post can be reached via editor@thepostathens.com.
