Opinion: Government sh*tdown
There is an inherent skepticism reserved to those in the government and whom it has decided will not receive pay during the shutdown. Yes, it was drawn out before, but representatives scrambled to pass a military exemption and back pay to federal workers right after the shutdown. Why was this even an issue that had to be solved?
First and foremost, how is a House that has failed to do its job still receiving pay? There have been representatives who have refused pay and offered to donate it. But again, why are they even being paid? Last time anyone checked, the government operates for the benefit of its citizens. When they cannot do the very job they were put in office to perform, maybe they should be on back pay, or not given that money at any point in time.
And now, word emerges that support for a “clean bill” sees a majority, and yet Speaker of The House John Boehner refuses to put the possibility to a vote. His reasoning seems to be that there would not be support for this clean bill. Sen. John Schumer of New York called for the “clean” bill to be put to a vote, addressing Boehner by saying "I'd reissue my friendly challenge to Speaker Boehner: Just put it on the floor."
Really, what Boehner needs is for Democrats to concede and change mandates within the Affordable Care Act, at least change something. Then, it will not be all for naught. Boehner and other House Republicans will have something to point at and claim was their doing. For most people, blame seems to have fallen on Republicans, with President Obama also taking hits for refusing to make concessions to a law that has already been approved. Regardless of who it is the disagreement is with, American workers don’t deserve to work without pay while those in Congress get theirs. It is absolutely incredible how far the Tea Party has tipped the conservative landscape in just a few short years to make it so that Republicans fear and adjust their financial policies so as to not incur the Tea Party’s wrath.
The shutdown hits close everywhere. Wayne National Forest has had many employees furloughed. Attempting to reach Public Affairs Officer Gary C. Chancey will result in a message telling the caller about Chance’s absence. Trying to reach anyone within the parks system is a mess. And yet, oil companies are drilling in Wayne National Park each and every day.
Police officers in D.C. are working without pay until a budget is approved. Some of the same officers who responded to a woman ramming into the White House gate with her car and ended in a chase to the capitol building where the woman fired shots. She was ultimately killed, but these officers put themselves in danger. And these are the people not receiving pay? Students going on long-planned trips to D.C. are not able to visit some of the very museums and monuments they had planned on visiting.
The House has thankfully passed a bill 407-0 to give back pay to furloughed federal workers in the shut down. This much is good news. The government also passed a bill (HR 3210 or the “Pay Our Military Act”) that made an exemption for the military in this time, showcasing some more common sense.
What is frustrating is that this all comes to bear as a result of those not content with Obamacare. Here is how some have weighed in over the Affordable Care Act.