Dear Editor,
At the time of this writing, the U.S. government shutdown, which began on October 1, is in its fourth week, with Republican and Democrat politicians no closer to an agreement that would resolve the ongoing budget dispute. Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and while a short-term continuing resolution bill - virtually identical to the stopgap bill designed to avoid a shutdown last March - passed in the House, in the Senate now lacks the 60 votes needed to pass it. Democrats want to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would cost the government $350 billion over the next ten years, as well as offset rising healthcare costs.
Even though many government services deemed essential continue during the shutdown, in some instances, staff are working without pay, while non-essential employees and contractors working for federal agencies are not receiving pay. Several agencies have furloughed workers, while other agencies, assistance programs, and institutions have closed. The Trump administration has threatened to use the shutdown to identify “nonessential” workers who could be permanently terminated. The administration seems unwilling to make concessions, as it believes the public blames the Democrats' demands for the shutdown.
Democratic leadership maintains their position on protecting and expanding affordable healthcare is a necessity, and polling consistently shows bipartisanship support. At this point, the majority of citizens share concerns about the shutdown, as no good outcome is foreseeable.
In the U.S., unlike most other countries, government shutdowns have become a kind of bargaining tool for political leaders, such that it has become a seemingly perennial phenomenon. Warring political parties seem all too willing to use the day-to-day functioning of government as a bargaining chip to extract concessions from the other side.
In this instance, the shutdown will ultimately give the Trump administration more power over federal spending. The Office of Management and Budget determines what agencies stay open and which shutter, meaning it may well halt programs Democrats care most about. Even though Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer seems to believe voters will be angrier at Trump than at him, President Trump’s business background and high-risk negotiation style influence his approach to the government shutdown. With confidence high due to multiple wins internationally, Trump appears emboldened to use the shutdown as a form of “corporate restructuring” with the resulting conflict as leverage in achieving his desired policy outcomes.
This shutdown is detrimental to both the public, who face service and program disruptions, and federal employees who are either furloughed or required to work without pay. Nevertheless, members of Congress are still being paid - a convention that many regard as hypocritical - such that the principles they claim to uphold as servants of the people are being met with widespread cynicism.
In a system of representative government, it is assumed that the will of the people is consulted and accommodated when elected officials make public policies that affect them. Right now, it seems that partisanship is getting in the way of best serving our national interest.
Peter Wibell, Rutledge