Government on Pause

U.S. Government Shutdown Update

Photo from Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

As of Oct. 22, the U.S. government shutdown has lasted 22 days, making it one of the longest in American history. Around 750,000 federal employees remain out of employment, while many essential workers continue without pay. Despite this, members of Congress and the Senate are still getting paid. Many government services, including national parks and visa processing, are still paused or delayed. This halt may result in billions of dollars lost in tourism as travelers change plans due to this shutdown. 

The bill that would put an end to the government shutdown has caused a lot of contreversy; it suggests cutting funds for Medicaid programs and healthcare subsidies. This brought out disagreements between the two opposing parties, and because they can't come to a conclusion, the government remains shutdown. Congress has attempted multiple votes to pass a temporary funding bill, but the Senate has failed more than ten times to reach an agreement. 

Negotiations between Democrats and Republicans have not ended, and this ongoing debate continues to affect many components of the country.