‘It will mean that we’ll have to tighten our belts’: Hundreds of thousands of workers sidelined as government shuts down
The government shutdown commenced at midnight after Congress could not reach a consensus on a funding plan, affecting federal operations nationwide.
The government shut down at midnight after Congress failed to agree on a funding plan for the new budget year, leaving federal operations in limbo.Overnight, both Republicans and Democrats voted down their respective plans to extend the budget for seven weeks, with Sen. John Fetterman voting for the GOP plan and Sen. Rand Paul voting against both bills.The shutdown could persist due to the lack of compromise on Democrats’ demands to extend subsidies for private health insurance and retract cuts to Medicaid.Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader, said, “We will continue to focus on health care, and the American people will be completely on our side.”President Donald Trump commented, “A lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things.”The shutdown’s impact is felt nationwide, with essential services continuing while nonessential operations are halted. Tourist attractions like the Washington Monument are closed, and tours are suspended, while the Smithsonian museums have enough funds to remain open until Monday. Across the country, the U.S. Postal Service will continue operations, and Medicare and Medicaid services will continue, though staffing shortages may cause delays in services like mailing Medicare cards. Social Security payments will continue, and air travel should not be affected as air traffic controllers and TSA agents are expected to remain on duty and receive retroactive pay. However, the Department of Health and Human Services will furlough about 41% of its staff, affecting nearly 80,000 employees.Federal employee Jenna Norton expressed concern, saying, “It’s not ideal. It will mean that we’ll have to tighten our belts. I think I am fortunate to have a husband who also has a job that is not in the federal government. If it’s a week or two weeks, we’ll be OK. If it’s months, that will be trickier,” Norton said.The shutdown affects not only those in the nation’s capital but also the roughly 80% of federal workers living outside Washington, D.C. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed each day of the shutdown.Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
The government shut down at midnight after Congress failed to agree on a funding plan for the new budget year, leaving federal operations in limbo.
Overnight, both Republicans and Democrats voted down their respective plans to extend the budget for seven weeks, with Sen. John Fetterman voting for the GOP plan and Sen. Rand Paul voting against both bills.
The shutdown could persist due to the lack of compromise on Democrats’ demands to extend subsidies for private health insurance and retract cuts to Medicaid.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader, said, “We will continue to focus on health care, and the American people will be completely on our side.”
President Donald Trump commented, “A lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things.”
The shutdown’s impact is felt nationwide, with essential services continuing while nonessential operations are halted. Tourist attractions like the Washington Monument are closed, and tours are suspended, while the Smithsonian museums have enough funds to remain open until Monday.
Across the country, the U.S. Postal Service will continue operations, and Medicare and Medicaid services will continue, though staffing shortages may cause delays in services like mailing Medicare cards.
Social Security payments will continue, and air travel should not be affected as air traffic controllers and TSA agents are expected to remain on duty and receive retroactive pay.
However, the Department of Health and Human Services will furlough about 41% of its staff, affecting nearly 80,000 employees.
Federal employee Jenna Norton expressed concern, saying, “It’s not ideal. It will mean that we’ll have to tighten our belts. I think I am fortunate to have a husband who also has a job that is not in the federal government. If it’s a week or two weeks, we’ll be OK. If it’s months, that will be trickier,” Norton said.
The shutdown affects not only those in the nation’s capital but also the roughly 80% of federal workers living outside Washington, D.C.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed each day of the shutdown.
Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
