Another U.S. government shutdown is imminent this week if the Republicans in the Senate do not end their blockade of an agreement to fund government business beyond the last day of the federal fiscal year, September 30th.
While it is easy to turn our attention away from the impending Washington train wreck, we remind our readers that this Republican crisis is having far-reaching implications that will affect far more than our 155,600 Virginia counterparts who work for the federal government or the federal government the 2.1 million federal employees across the country.
What we’re talking about is the immediate impact on families who would be without paychecks while the shutdown continues. It is estimated that around 60 to 70 percent of federal employees nationwide would be on leave during a closure, with only “important” employees showing up for duty.
These essential staff include state law enforcement and border guards; Prison guards and managers; Air traffic controllers; medical personnel in veterans hospitals and other federal institutions; and possibly those at the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this would not include any of the employees or assistants in any of these offices.
Some federal offices and operations would be closed or partially closed if Congress fails to reach an agreement to extend government funding beyond midnight this Thursday. National historical sites, museums and parks, for example, would be closed.
According to the nonprofit Federal Responsible Budget Committee, new Social Security and Medicare applications may not be processed; Grocery stamp deliveries to 42 million recipients could be delayed; Mortgage and other loan applications would be withheld because the Internal Revenue Service and / or Social Security would not be available to verify income and other information.
In the area, such federally owned lots as the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site and the Richmond National Battlefield Park would be closed. Federal food, agricultural, and environmental quality and safety inspections could be phased out, including inspections of drinking water and hazardous waste.
In addition to federal employees, hundreds of thousands of federal contract workers and their families would also be affected by the crisis, as payments to those individuals and companies that provide goods and services to the US government would be suspended.
If federal employees and contractors are not paid, there will be a huge ripple effect. No paycheck to federal employees can mean landlords, mortgage companies, utilities, and credit card companies fail to get paid, experts warn. Small businesses like cafes and restaurants that rely on the dollars of federal employees who have lunch, takeout, or shop, may not be able to survive.
This is not the first time the nation is grappling with a government shutdown. The latest, a 35-day record shutdown from December 22, 2018 through January 25, 2019, devastated the lives of millions of people and slowed economic growth by $ 3 billion in the last three months of 2018 on the Congressional budget bureau .
This is another crisis for the selfish Republicans. They would rather play politics and wreak havoc in the style of former President Trump than govern effectively for the good of all people.
We commend US Senator Mark R. Warner of Virginia for introducing the Stop STUPIDITY Act on Wednesday to end future government closures. In his bill, STUPIDITY stands for Shutdowns Transfer Unnecessary Pain and Instructing Damage in the coming years.
“In the past, government closings have left federal employees no choice but to siphon off their savings, use up their loans, put on the table in between meals or keep a roof over their heads,” said Senator Warner’s bill announcement.
“The Stop STUPIDITY Act would allow federal employees to continue receiving a paycheck during shutdowns by automatically renewing government funding at the same level as the previous fiscal year with adjustments for inflation. This legislation would fund all aspects of government except for the legislature and executive office of the President – effectively forcing Congress and the White House to come to the negotiating table without jeopardizing the economy or harming the American public. “
Failure to pay the legislature and the office of the president during a shutdown can make a positive change and prevent a future shutdown.
We blame Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Senate minority leader, for blocking recent settlement efforts. He and his gang of GOP villains are eager to undermine Democratic President Joe Biden and any Democratic administration – as he tried to do with former President Obama – by crippling that nation with a shutdown and hurting as many Americans as possible . It’s a dangerous political game that we believe will backfire if people recognize the GOP hand behind it.
Senator McConnell and his Senate GOP henchmen are also aiming to put a brake on the US economy by refusing to raise the debt ceiling. Failure to suspend or raise the debt ceiling by October 18 could result in the United States failing to pay its debts for the first time in history, with serious economic repercussions and making the US dollar a less reliable currency around the world .
“The full confidence and creditworthiness of the United States would be compromised and our country would likely face a financial crisis and an economic recession,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Congress earlier this week.
We urge our readers to contact the office of Senator McConnell and those of other GOP Senators and request that they cease their efforts to destroy the fiscal health and well-being of our nation and its people. We demand that they approve financing to expand state business and also raise the debt ceiling.
We also urge our readers to contact two of Virginia’s senators, Democratic Sens. Warner and Tim Kaine, and request that they pressure Sen. McConnell and his Republican colleagues to stop our lives politically to influence. The consequences of inaction are too critical to ignore.
