The government has been shut down! Move along nothing to see here. Really, there is not much to see because everything is closed. Want to see Lady Liberty in all her glory? Sorry, access denied. How about visit the WWII memorial to remember all those who gave their lives for freedom? ?You are blocked by the Park Rangers from entry. Are you a federal worker who is not considered ?essential?? Apparently the government thinks you can live for free because you have been furloughed.
Even though most of the country is not affected by the government shutdown right now, if the shutdown lasts into November many more people will be affected. WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is one of those programs that will see devastating consequences if the Republicans refuse to open the government by the end of the month. The WIC program helps parents with formula and other necessary food items to feed their children. Some states have enough money in the budget to keep WIC offices open through the end of the month, but other states are finding it hard to even remain open for a week during the government shutdown.?From the?Washington?Post:
? ?In Pennsylvania, whose $208 million WIC program supports 250,000 women and children, all local WIC offices remain open and benefits are being dispensed as usual.?
The article goes on to state:
?’Ohio WIC is open for business!’ proclaimed the headline on a state website. Utah’s WIC program, though, immediately closed its doors Tuesday in the wake of the government shutdown, meaning that families who hadn’t already received their October vouchers were out of luck and new applications couldn’t be processed.??
Why is the government shutdown?
The effects of the shutdown are soon to be felt by more people, but what everyone cannot understand is why the government is shutdown in the first place. With Republicans blaming Democrats and President Obama and Democrats blaming the Republicans, it seems as though no one can muddle through all of the talking points to get an answer.
The best way to explain why the government is shutdown is to pretend like everyone is a child or even a Tea Party member; same thing really. Instead of getting into the nitty-gritty of a CR bill (Continuing Resolution bill), think of it in simple terms. The CR bill is the government’s budget that runs from October 1st through September 30th every year.
Think of it this way: ?as a child you received an allowance. Imagine that both your parents had to decide how much to give you for what chores you did around the house. Your dad wants to give you .50 cents for every chore you do and your mom wants to give you $1 for every chore. Obviously there is going to be a conflict and a compromise is needed between your parents.
The problem is, your dad is not willing to budge one inch. Your mom says she is willing to come down to .75 cents, but your dad is still being stubborn and says no. What your dad does next is take the PlayStation your mother and grandmother gave you for Christmas, and says, ?I am going to give .50 cents per chore and take away the PlayStation.? Well, your mom sees how upset you are and decides to agree to the .50 cents per chore, but will not include the PlayStation. Your dad is not very happy with this deal so he decides to withhold your entire allowance until your mother agrees to include taking away the PlayStation in the deal.
That is why the government is shutdown, in layme’sn terms. The Republicans wanted to get 100% of what they wanted, including defunding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). When the Democrats did not allow them to include the ACA in the CR bill, the Republicans threw a temper tantrum and shut the government down until they got their way. (Even though they got the budget they originally wanted.)
Unfortunately, the people of the United States have to suffer while ?mom and dad? argue it out, but there is really no logical reason for the government to be shut down right now. There is no logical reason that many families are going without pay right now. There is no logical reason military death benefits are not being paid right now.
The sad part is, the only thing the government has to do is hold a vote on a clean CR bill that does not include the ACA, but gives Republicans the budget they wanted. However, the Weeper, I mean Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R-OH) refuses to hold that vote until Democrats and President Obama cave into the Republican’s whim.
Edited/Published by: SB
