Tensions Rise as Government Shutdown Continues
27 days and counting
By Zoey Reade and Jade Grant
President Bill Clinton’s administration held the longest running shutdown, totaling 21 days — that is, until now. The current shutdown has now reached 27 days. President Trump is demanding a wall to be built along the Southwestern Border of the United States and is threatening to keep the current US Government shutdown going on for months if he does not receive the proper funding. Until the President receives the 5.7 billion that he is requesting from the Democratic Congressional Leaders, the government will continue to be shut down.
A shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass funding bills. Such bills are presented to Congress and must gain 60 votes in the Senate. When the decision deadline is exceeded and those 60 votes are not obtained, or agreements cannot be formed, governmental operations that are deemed “nonessential” are shut down. Shutdowns last until Congress approves funds to be signed (or vetoed) by the president.
This shutdown affects over two million civilian federal workers, with 800,000 federal workers working without pay. Business owners in Washington D.C. are also suffering from the lack of tourism due to the closing of museums and monuments. Native American tribes and national parks across the US are being affected by the lack of finances needed to help with basic services.
Non-federal workers are also affected due to the shutdown of federal facilities like the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Justice, State, and Transportation, just to name a few.
In the past, government shutdowns usually haven’t lasted more than a week. During the Ronald Reagan administration, there was eight shutdowns, each only lasting about four days. In President George H.W. Bush’s administration, there was a small weekend shutdown. President Obama had a 16-day shutdown when Congress couldn’t agree on funding over Obamacare.
Aly Isom ‘19, commented, “It’s just sad because the government is shutdown only because they’re fighting over funding for the wall. So while all those people deciding on the matter are still secure in their jobs, people lower down are put out of work until they start up the government again.” She continues, “They have to work without knowing whether or not they will get paid, or if their job is cut because they have to allot funding towards the wall.”
Everyone is unsure how long this shutdown will last. What we do know is that the longer it lasts, the worse it will get — not just for federal workers, but for the rest of the country. A federal agent who wishes to remain anonymous states that, “In the long run, it’s costing more to shut down than to have just kept the government open. It’s just become a political stand-off and the politicians don’t really care about the consequences since they keep getting paid.”
