Government shutdown puts 750,000 workers on edge

Photo of Bernd Dittrich in Unsplash

The United States federal government officially entered a shutdown after Congress failed to pass a budget or temporary spending bill by midnight. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), up to 750,000 federal employees could be placed on unpaid leave for the duration of the shutdown.

The immediate impact is felt in key agencies. The Department of Transportation announced that more than 11,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workers will be furloughed, Although air traffic controllers and TSA agents will continue to work without pay until the crisis is resolved. The loss of wages is estimated at around $400 million for each day of closure.

The political clash is intense. Democrats pushed to maintain health care subsidies and protect Medicaid, while Republicans refused to include them in the budget resolution. The result was a government shutdown and a wave of recriminations on Capitol Hill.

In a controversial move, The White House instructed agencies to prepare permanent staff reduction plans, breaking with the tradition of previous closures, where workers were simply sent to temporary furloughs. This has led to lawsuits from unions against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel (OPM), alleging that mass layoffs would violate federal laws.

Consequences of the Government Shutdown

The social consequences are already being felt. Employees without income face the impossibility of covering basic expenses such as rent or credit, and cities with a high concentration of federal workers fear a strong economic hit. The Department of Education, for example, will cut more than 80 of its staff, halting programs and assessments. In addition, key economic reports, such as the September employment report, could be delayed or not released at all.

The shutdown will persist until Congress and the White House reach an agreement. Although by law, employees will receive back pay when the government reopens, the threat of permanent layoffs adds a new layer of uncertainty.

In conclusion, the government shutdown not only paralyzes the federal government, but also jeopardizes the stability of hundreds of thousands of families and exposes the deep political divisions that permeate the United States.

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Sources:

• AP News