The month of October was welcomed, not by the usual aura and anticipation of the fall season, but instead, by an abrupt government shutdown in Congress.
On October 1st, at the early hour of 12:01 am ET, Senate representatives from both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party failed to reach an agreement on the recent debate on the passing of a bill concerning federal funding, resulting in a government “shutdown.”
This upheaval stems from a long-standing debate over the passing of a recent bill regarding government and federal funding. This involves the continuation of certain taxes and payments to support government jobs and federal resources. Although this measure had been passed in the House, the Senate faced a different story.
The US Senate is composed of a majority of Republican representatives, with 53 of the seats being from the Republican Party, 45 seats identifying as a part of the Democratic Party, and 2 seats held by Independent Parties.
This dispute of opposing ideas has sparked numerous debates and disagreements in Congress, as the Republican Party holds a majority but is still short of the 60 votes required to pass certain bills, such as the most recent spending bill.
The representatives from the Democratic Party have voiced their disagreements with the financial cuts and changes for many months. They have openly shared their desire to extend expiring credits and reverse the recent cuts to Medicaid made by President Donald Trump, to provide cheaper access to health insurance for Americans.
The Republican Party had opposed this idea, claiming that they wished to make better use of taxpayer dollars and make cuts to federal departments such as public education or health care, to reduce the amount of taxes paid by Americans. The opposing views held in Congress are reflected across the millions of Americans, with both sides appealing to divergent groups of people based on their geographical location, social upbringing, and financial situation.
When the question of passing October’s government service funding arose, the Democratic representatives chose to stand for their opinions and refused to agree to the terms of the bill until they saw financial changes that reflected their concerns and desires for an extension of healthcare benefits and insurance.
By neither party agreeing to these terms, the government entered a shutdown, prohibiting the flow of funding to certain federal jobs or organizations. The effects of this shutdown are being felt not only in the hallowed halls of Congress but on the workforce as well. This forces millions of Americans who hold government-funded occupations to face the possibility of changes to their wages or even layoffs.
Additionally, Jobs that concern public safety, medical care, law enforcement, and air traffic control all face potential pay-withdrawals because they cannot be paid during the shutdown. BBC News has reported that “thousands of flights have been canceled or delayed because of a shortage of air traffic controllers, who are also expected to work without pay.”
Many workers, such as the air traffic controllers, are refusing to show up to work or calling in sick because their employers cannot pay them without the passing of government funds. These cuts have led to a recent increase in unemployment in California as well as various other states, barreling quickly towards an economic disaster.
However, President Trump, as well as other members of the US government, are working to navigate this financial crisis by increasing tax and tariff revenue to support certain federal jobs operations, mainly the United States armed forces.
The shutdown has tested the patience of not only government officials but also the millions of Americans watching and waiting for the decisions being made to support the American economy throughout this time.