Graphic by Nethan Crew, Managing editor of production
By Nethan Crew, Managing Editor of Production
Editor’s note: This story was updated last on October 9. If there are major changes in the topics of this article, we will update the Alabamian website version.
The U.S. federal government shut down Oct 1 after lawmakers in Congress failed to reach an agreement on a funding extension. The reason for the inability to negotiate varies from news sources. Whether it is the Republican majority in the House, Senate and White House failing to talk to Democrats or vice versa, it will trickle down to affect everyday Americans in big ways.
If you’re flying soon, most employees at airports and pilots are considered “essential workers” and must stay working. This is true even if it means that they are working without pay while the rest of the federal government is shut down.
Your mail and packages won’t be affected as the U.S. Postal Service will run as if nothing happened. They are primarily self-funded and don’t depend on governmental oversight to keep the mail moving.
The effects of the shutdown are not immediate. This is because most of the things that would be affected by the government shutdown have a sense of a supply that could run out depending on how long the shutdown lasts. These include Social Security, SNAP, WIC and other safety net programs.
The most definite change will be the loss of jobs for federal workers and active-duty military service members. In the lead up to the shutdown, the White House also threatened mass layoffs. To those who are curious, members of Congress and the President are still, under the Constitution, being paid regardless of man hours.
In a similar regard to airport employees and pilots, ICE agents will be proceeding as usual but might not be paid until the end of the shutdown.
According to the Partnership for Public Service, an estimated 900,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed and an additional 700,000 may work without pay.
In response to the shutdown, many Republican officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, have made disputed claims that Democrats were demanding free health care for undocumented immigrants. In response, many Democratic politicians claimed that their Republican counterparts were not at the Capitol to vote on the budget.
According to U.S. representative Greg Stanton of Arizona’s fourth congressional district, house democrats attempted to pass a bipartisan piece of legislation to continue government funding and focused on the expiration of the Affordable Care Act set for the end of the year.
No matter your political affiliations, it is the duty of the government to come to an agreement to allow for the most benefit for most individuals in our country. To make your voice heard, call the offices of your representatives to voice your concerns.
Nethan Crew is the Managing Editor of Production for The Alabamian. He's a Psychology major and enjoys cooking, camping and listening to new music in his free time.
