The United States government has been on shutdown since October 1 after being unable to create this year’s budget.  The crux of the current issue seems to be that officials are unable to pass a funding bill due to a disagreement on healthcare spending. Despite multiple bills to get things back running for a temporary amount of time, none so far have gone through. When the federal government shutdowns, it causes a lot of trouble for the general population.

Recently, the senate is voting on a GOP bill that would reopen the government, this is the 15th time they are voting on a bill to open the government temporarily.  This is the current longest shutdown at 38 days, surpassing the 35 day shutdown during 2018 to 2019.

Federal workers are sent home on leave and essential workers such as soldiers must show up but are not paid. While essential workers are set to receive back pay, many workers such TSA agents have begun protesting having to come to work without pay. Such action came with a possible threat from the current administration, on October 7, President Trump said that some workers may not get back pay. Meaning that federal workers can’t even count on getting compensation. 

With the government currently unable to fund anything, many Americans that receive state or federal aid are also being hit heavily by the shutdown. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or “SNAP” have come to a halt due to the current stalemate. Some states have warned that people who rely on the program may not be able to receive the benefits due to the fact SNAP may not get its November funding. While those with social security are currently able to get their payments, their services are impacted. In person buildings have reduced hours and reduced abilities in what they can do for you. 

With the government shutdown, money problems are building not just for civilians but for the government as well. The debt accumulated by the United States government has topped $38 trillion dollars and will only continue to worsen with the shutdown due to the lack of economic activity. The past 35 day shutdown cost the United States 11 billion dollars from a reduction in spending and it’s only expected to rise so long as the shutdown continues.