For those unaware, as of today, if there is no change in how our government is heading, the federal government could enter a shutdown period on Wednesday, October 1st. This shutdown is a result of democrats and republicans being unable to agree on how to vote regarding what should be included in the budget resolutions.
For reference, government shutdowns happen when a government agency or service fails to have its funding approved, and no continuing solution can be reached, the agency or service must cease operation due to lack of funding.
The current shutdown concerns disagreement with the budget resolutions. The disagreement lies in the fact that Democrats wish to include healthcare protections in the resolution, while the Republicans want to pass a “clean” resolution, continuing the status quo.
It is believed that if a resolution is not passed by Tuesday, September 30th, the government will be forced to enter a shutdown period until a resolution can be agreed upon.
If the government does enter a shutdown period, there will be consequences for many citizens across the country. Government workers will be unable to continue working, temporarily losing their jobs and source of income. Government services will no longer be available during the shutdown period due to workers’ being unable to provide the service.
While a government shutdown sounds like a catastrophic event, it is not as bad as it seems. In the case of most government shutdowns, only non-essential services are no longer in operation. Essential services needed for citizens to live their lives will still be in operation.
In previous shutdowns, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended its routine inspections, resulting in a significant public health risk. Court hearings were cancelled, resulting in a massive backlog of cases to form.
Each shutdown had negative repercussions in the long term for our nation, but they did not grind the whole country to a halt. Hopefully, a resolution will pass in the next 24 hours and prevent the shutdown.
