The government shutdown is in its thirty-ninth day with no end in sight. Congress has failed to work together and fulfill its duty to serve the people, placing America in a dangerous position. Let’s take a look.
Where Are We with The Shutdown?
As the shutdown extends into November, we are seeing increasing problems impacting the American people:
- Essential employees have not been paid since September. A growing number of essential employees, including Air Traffic Controllers, are calling out of work. The military has been paid through emergency funds, but November paychecks are at risk.
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) have not been fully funded for November. At best, ~65% of the total benefit has been funded.
- Local food banks are under severe strain due to reduced federal benefits.
- Just this week, the FAA announced a 10% reduction in daily flights due to safety concerns. While this may provide temporary relief to air traffic, it shifts the burden onto travelers, resulting in longer delays and cancellations.
- Head Start programs are federally funded early childhood education initiatives designed to promote school readiness for children from low-income families. Some early childhood centers have been shut down due to funding shortages.
- There may be a significant economic impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the labor market, and the construction and leisure sectors.
Why Can’t Congress Resolve This?
To put it simply, they are refusing to work together. There are real issues that need to be resolved to address the shutdown in the first place:
- Republicans have put forth a “clean” Continuing Resolution (CR) to “kick the can” down the road and temporarily fund the government. Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans have refused to guarantee a vote on the subsidies until Congress reopens the government. They maintain that lawmakers should address health care policy separately from government funding.
- The Democrats’ primary concern is extending the Obamacare subsidies, which expire on December 31, 2025. Democrats insist that any deal to reopen the government must include a binding commitment to extend these subsidies. The Democrats say they are fighting for “health care affordability.”
Where Do We Go From Here?
First off, this entire shutdown was avoidable and should have been. To be at this point in November is ridiculous and shows how inept our Congress remains. I have said before that both sides are responsible for this issue. While the Republicans have passed a clean CR, they should have anticipated that the Obamacare subsidies would be an issue and worked to address this before the funding expired. Their reluctance to seek funding for SNAP benefits harms those who genuinely need it. Is there corruption in that program? Most likely yes, but don’t hold food benefits hostage when there are people who legitimately need the help. Feed the people and root out corruption, as DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) did when it cleaned up USAID. Use tariff money to fund critical programs. If the Supreme Court rules against Trump on the tariffs, you can deal with that issue later.
Democrats, on the other hand, have viewed the American people as “leverage,” using their own words. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have publicly acknowledged using the government shutdown as “leverage” to push for policy priorities, especially health care subsidies. I find it interesting that the Democrats’ “proposal” is made after Election Day. Where was the effort before the elections?
The real solution? Approve an annual budget and manage it closely throughout the year. The inability of Congress to work together to serve the people who elected them should disqualify them from serving in elected office again. We need term limits so “we the people” who employ these elected officials are no longer “leverage” or held hostage. Enough is enough.
The Catholic View
Matthew 25:45 – “He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.”
John 21:17 – “Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.”
This is simple. Take care of the people. Put aside your differences and do your jobs. Start by providing the basic necessities to the American people and being good stewards of our tax dollars. The equation is upside down—they work for the American people, not the other way around.
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Peace
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