As the government shutdown continues, issues worsen

Graphic of the government shutdown longest in United States History (The Puma Prensa / Logan Budlong)

By Logan Budlong, Staff Writer

A government getting shut down is a terrifying notion. A sudden halt can cause a lack of government personnel manning important infrastructure, and even brings about problems as simple as public bathrooms being shut down.

Unfortunately, this is the situation the United States government has been thrust into, with conflict between the Democratic and Republican parties sparking the shutdown of the federal government.

Now the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States, the shutdown started Oct. 1 and has eclipsed the last government shutdown, which lasted barely more than a month Dec. of 2018.

The shutdown has occurred as a result of funding disagreements between Republican and Democratic parties, with the latter requesting more budget be given to programs like Medicaid and other low-income assistance programs that Republicans argued should require separate legislative approval. Since no settlement was reached by the two parties, the federal shutdown proceeded.

The situation has since been worsening, and as of  Nov. 4 it was announced that SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) were being reduced by a staggering 50% due to funding shortages since the shutdown.

Smaller scale issues have also arisen; without government funding and support many public facilities in parks and reserves are being locked up. Maria Carrillo High School junior Ashton Hull stated that he is "[disappointed] when [he’s] on a hike and [he sees] the bathrooms are closed,” an issue which could inconvenience many families and individuals exploring the parks.

However, the public is not the only one facing issues, as the government itself is in a tough spot with many employees being furloughed, working without pay. And even with the promise of backpay for these workers it's still a matter of when that backpay will come.

Additional independent organizations that contract with the government, such as Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, might not get paid for the work done during the government shutdown due to a lack of regulations in place.

Some examples of organizations that are being impacted are the Federal Aviation Admission, which has taken a hit after having furloughed thousands of their employees and shutting down some air traffic control towers, as well as the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health, which have experienced a decrease in research and public health surveillance.

Governor Gavin Newsom addressed some of these concerns, stating that due to the government shutdown “critical wildfire preparedness and disaster recovery programs are on pause,” a fact that could have massive impacts on Sonoma County due to its history with large scale wildfires

These budget constraints and the resulting slowing or outright halting of many vital programs for the United States continue to worry the public as the impacts of the government shutdown continue to be prevalent and visible. 

As the issue continues to persist, the ensuing harm and lack of control will only increase as furloughed employees go longer and longer without pay.

Contracted organizations will continue to work for the federal government while questioning if they are going to be paid once the government opens back up, and whether that delay or absence in pay will hurt the company as a whole going forward. 

This government shutdown continues to worsen and the state of the nation continues to deteriorate as political divides increase and funding decreases.