The US Government is currently in what could be the longest shutdown in American history. As someone from Washington, D.C., and with parents working for the federal government, I’ve seen the impacts of this shutdown in my own home. More importantly, the shutdown has made me concerned about those less fortunate than my family.
Both of my parents work for the US government. My mother is an employee of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and my father is on active duty in the US Army. My mother has not been going to work and/or getting paid; my father, however, is going to work with some payment. It appears that he’ll receive payment on November 1st, but not after November 15th if the shutdown continues.
Despite being in the month of Halloween, this is only a spooky event, not a festive time for federal employees. They’ve had to cut back on spending on “non-essential” professions, which has impacted both my mother’s and many others’ paychecks, which would have arrived on October 24. There is a likelihood she and others will miss future paychecks.
If this shutdown continues past Thanksgiving, my parents will officially be struggling financially. With each missed paycheck, neither can pay their bills. It’s simply terrifying. Honestly, I can’t fathom the idea of what would happen if this shutdown continued beyond next month.
However, I acknowledge I’m speaking from a place of privilege; this shutdown isn’t breaking their bank account right now – knock on wood. My concern is for the federal employees whose lives require every paycheck. People are going to miss a month of SNAP benefits if the government doesn’t reopen by November 1. This is what truly concerns me. It also concerns politicians on both sides of the aisle.
On one hand, I support the Democrats’ fight to expand the extension of enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. This will ensure that healthcare costs don’t spike in the next year, especially in a country that spends nearly twice as much on healthcare per person as the average of other nations. The idea that health insurance costs could skyrocket terrifies me.
On the other hand, I wonder why our representatives won’t pass a partial funding bill on spending that they do agree on? Why is Speaker Mike Johnson keeping the House out of session when they should be negotiating with the Senate?
This shutdown has affected issues far beyond healthcare. It impacts the federal employees who have been working without pay and furloughed, the 40 million Americans on SNAP benefits, researchers who are awaiting grants from the government, and much more. While politicians are refusing to vote or negotiate over one issue on this spending bill, they’re creating other issues as a result.
I implore everyone to take care of those who are negatively affected by this shutdown. Volunteer or donate to local food banks. Contact your representatives if they’re unwilling to negotiate or work toward an end to this shutdown. In difficult times like these, we need to help each other.
