We failed. American people failed.
Our members of Congress failed. Our government failed. And the United States of America as a whole failed. And we failed because we could not reach a decision on what the budget would be for our government agencies and programs. But I know that we can do better than that, and frankly it’s embarrassing that we can’t come together as one and make a decision that’s best for Americans.
Then, Traci Branch, a Workforce Planning Specialist for the United States Postal Service (USPS), expressed what she thought this shutdown said about our country.
“It speaks to the fact that we’re not really unified,” Branch said. “Decision makers are not looking at the big picture and how this shutdown will affect Americans. They’re not looking at the actual person because they’re so focused on the other side of the aisle.”
Nonetheless, Americans are suffering now because, according to the BBC, many federal programs and services are suspended with 40% of our federal work force, about 750,000 people, being put on unpaid leave. And others that are deemed “essential” are even working without pay.
Next, Branch explained her thoughts on this suspension of federal workers.
We also don’t know how long this shutdown will last, it could last days, weeks, months even. And think of what that will do to families that are living paycheck to paycheck. At any rate, we do know that the longer this carries on, the more it will hurt Americans.
But instead of seeing this event as the travesty that it is, according to the New York Times, our president deemed it an “unprecedented opportunity” to fire Americans from their jobs. It’s also a shame that we have a leader so eager to dismantle our government that he welcomes a government shutdown. He stopped billions of dollars in funds for Democratic states as well, providing more evidence that he sees this shutdown as a tool he can use to further his own agenda. Not to mention, the longest government shutdown in history was under Trump’s administration, and it lasted a total of 35 days.
Branch also described what she thought about Trump’s “unprecedented opportunity.”
“Trump’s administration is cutting federal workers without thinking,” Branch said. “They also don’t look at the fallout it will cause and just don’t fully understand the roles that these workers play. In addition to that, these actions feel personal and people are beginning to be targeted like we live in a dictatorship.”
Yet before we can continue we must know what was so important that Democrats would go so far as to allow a government shutdown to happen. Well it’s simple really, we were fighting to extend Obamacare subsidies permanently and reverse cuts on Medicaid and other other programs by the Trump Administration. And these issues are in fact so important that we will not pass a bill that does not contain these stipulations. We refuse to roll over and comply with the Republican party’s needs, because that’s not how you get stuff done, that is not how you bring about change. And we’re tired of passing bills that do not fight for our issues.
Additionally, our two parties in Congress are supposed to negotiate, which is something the Republican party refuses to do. So in order to get our issues addressed, the Democratic party was forced to stand their ground. But that still isn’t to say that the blame for this shutdown falls on us because the Republican party is the one that has the majority in congress and the presidency, so the government is their responsibility. In fact, Americans entrusted them with it when they gave them their vote.
Nevertheless, every action has a reaction, and this shutdown will have consequences.
Federal Workers
According to the BBC, federal workers will be hit the hardest because they are not getting paid for the entire duration of this government shutdown. And this is also a shame because these civilians are serving our country and government, and now have nothing to show for it. We have now done them a disservice.
The government departments that will sustain the greatest impact from this shutdown are:
- The Department of Defense – 334,904 employees suspended (45% of total employees)
- The Department of Health – 32,460 workers suspended (41% of total employees)
- The Department of Commerce – 34,711 workers suspended (81% of total employees)
- Department of State – 16,651 workers suspended (62% of total employees)
- NASA – 15,094 workers suspended (83% of total employees)
However, Congress and the President will still be paid because they are protected under the Constitution.
Healthcare
Medicare and Medicaid programs that benefit the elderly and poor will continue, but recent staffing shortages would lead to disruptions. Food assistance programs will also be affected such as the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is expected to quickly run out of funds. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), will eventually run out of funds as well.
Then, Charity Conners, a State Agency Compliance worker, conveyed her thoughts on people losing access to health services because of the government shutdown.
Moreover, according to Politico, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the largest public funder of biomedical research, and it has currently suspended about 75% of its staff. And on top of that, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has suspended over 65% of its staff, affecting their concurrent research practices and experiments. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be affected too because it has to suspend thousands of its workers without pay, and these employees are the people who inspect our food supply.
Conners also illustrated how the suspension of healthcare workers is unjust and will affect us in the long run.
“These people are specialized in this subject and they shouldn’t be put on unpaid leave just for a government shutdown,” Conners said. “After all, we need these advanced technologies and medicines, and these agencies shouldn’t play a role in politics in the first place.”
“But organizations like the CDC are vital in today’s society,” Conners said. “We are setting ourselves up for failure and another disaster like COVID – 19 by suspending these workers. And essentially, Trump is limiting the scope of the CDC just because does not agree with their practices and procedures.”
Additionally, the National Flood Insurance program has been closed, and it’s also possible, depending on how long the shutdown lasts, that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) could run completely out of money for their Disaster Relief Fund.
Military & Veterans
Arguably one of the worst effects of this shutdown is the millions of people that are serving our U.S. military working without pay. I mean, these people would sacrifice their lives to protect our country, our livelihoods, and this is how we pay them back in return?
But it’s possible for lawmakers to pass legislation that will make sure active-duty soldiers and Pentagon employees get paid during this government shutdown. However, they will lose money either way if this shutdown is not resolved by Oct. 15.
Conners also had strong opinions about military workers not being paid because of the recent government shutdown.
“I think that it is totally wrong to not pay military officers during this shutdown and since they are essential workers, they are being made to work,” Conners said. “They should get paid for their service, a fair day’s work equals fair day’s pay. The federal government is also trying to dictate which way things are going to go. Countless other people are getting furloughed. And some people are living paycheck to paycheck.”
Also, several support phone services like the GI Bill Hotline are now closed as well as Regional VA benefits offices, career counseling, and transition assistance programs.
National Parks
National parks and monuments have now been partially closed due to the complete loss of staff, and services will be severely limited. This includes the Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri, which has now been closed to the public because of the recent government shutdown.
Additionally, Conners communicated her thoughts on the closing of national parks and monuments.
“ I don’t think that national parks should be closed because the public are the ones who upkeep these places. I mean, these sites are for the people and we have personally invested in them. And these individuals are not seen as necessary as others by the government so they might not get their money back.”
Travel
Air traffic control Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) workers will also be working without pay during the government shutdown they are deemed “essential.”
U.S, passport agencies are also warning Americans that it could take longer than usual to process travel documents.
The government shutdown could also lead to longer security queue lines and more frequent delays because of the numerous air traffic controllers choosing to stay home rather than work for free.
At the end of the day, we don’t know what’s in store for us. We don’t know what the future entails. But what we do know is that our commitment to enriching the lives of American people is unshakable and the spirit we have for our causes burns brighter than ever.
And while we might have a long journey ahead of us, we just need to buckle down and not be swayed, even during times of uncertainty because one of the greatest assets we have is unity. Nothing else will make us stronger. That’s one of the key differences between us.
This is also not like it’s nothing we’ve never faced before. Because don’t forget we’ve fought this same fight before. This song and dance should sound familiar because we fought back then, we’re fighting right now, and frankly, I think we’ll always be fighting because that’s what you have to do to achieve change. You fight for it. You don’t lay down and take it your people are being unjustly hurt, slandered, and discriminated against. No, you make your voice be heard.
So, when we’re finally met with the trials and tribulations to come, we’ll keep in mind just how important our fight is to preserving democracy and even protecting American citizens themselves, and face our problems with ease.
