The Government Shuts Down – Again
A closure sign is posted on the national mall near the US Capitol in Washington, DC, October 3, 2013, as seen during the third day of the federal government shutdown. US President Barack Obama on October 3, directly attacked Republican Speaker John Boehner, saying he could end a “reckless” US government shutdown in just five minutes. AFP Photo/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)
January 23, 2018
As we are sure many of you already know our government has been shutdown since this past friday. We’re going to be talking about the why’s and how’s our government got shut down and what the Senate is doing to bring it back online.
As of this past Friday, our government was declared shutdown. A government shutdown occurs when budget resolutions are not passed, thus not funding the government. This often happens when the two parties – Democrats and Republicans – cannot agree what to spend government money on. There have been past shutdowns, like the one during the Obama administration, and there have been ones before that. They don’t spell doom for the United States, it just means people can’t agree on which ice cream flavor to buy.
The government still “runs” during a shutdown despite the name. Many large government agencies such as the FBI, Border Patrol and the Coast Guard remain open. Hospitals and Doctors still receive their reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid. However, many services go dark and many federal workers are forced off the job. As stated by PBS, “fewer than half of the 2 million civilian federal workers subject [to a shutdown] would be forced off the job…That’s not counting the 500,000 Postal Service employees or the 1.3 million military personnel who would be exempt.” Those who work in jobs that deal with national security or “protect life and property” are exempt from their furloughs.
There really isn’t anything to fear. As stated by a senior administration official, “President Donald Trump signed a bill Monday night ending the government shutdown, capping off a nearly three-day deadlock and reinstating funds until February 8.” That being said, all the people who had furloughs for a few days can now go back to work.
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Works Cited
Barrett, Ted, et al. “Senate to Vote at Noon on Whether to End Government Shutdown.” CNN, Cable News Network, 22 Jan. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/01/22/politics/senate-shutdown-vote-congress/index.html.
Press, Andrew Taylor Associated. “What Happens during a Government Shutdown?” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 18 Jan. 2018, www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-happens-during-a-government-shutdown.
“What Is a Government Shutdown? Here’s What Happens.” Time, Time, time.com/5109899/government-shutdown-explainer/.