The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’. Many federal workers of the United States government had to forcibly go out of work, and yes, they weren’t paid during the longest shutdown that the country had ever witnessed. Let’s know some basics of this event that grabbed international headlines and even compelled many families to sell off their belongings to sustain their living.
Why?
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, also referred to as the POTUS, wants funds from the Congress for building a concrete wall to protect the country’s southern border with Mexico. He stands firmly by his stance, also one of his key campaign promises, which he says will prevent illegal migration and illegal cross-border trade.
The Democrats, who lost the presidential bid to Republican Trump, see President’s stance as ‘expensive’. Moreover, they say that compared with the money sought by Trump for building the wall the results will not be that effective. Many politicians have also termed the demand as inhumane. The deadlock persisted and since no deal could be achieved, the US federal agencies experienced a shutdown.
Is it for the first time?
No. The United States has experienced many shutdowns in the past, under both Republican as well as Democrat presidents. Under Obama, the shutdown in the year 2013 lasted for 16 days. But yes, the latest shutdown was the longest (35 days) in US history and can be said to have impacted the socio-economic landscape of the country.
What was the impact?
Many federal workers were furloughed. From national parks to national zoo to federal tax agency, several institutions were impacted. Funds that were meant for tribal communities were blocked, resulting in unnecessary troubles for them.It is known that the United States receives huge influx of refugees but the shutdown severely dented immigration services and led to delay in processing of claims of refugees.
It has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of federal workers bore the brunt of the shutdown. While many were left with no work, others who are a part of emergency services had to work without pay.The stories of affected families in desperate need of money to pay for their rents and other basic necessities made news, with many borrowing from different sources to deal with the crises.
The news that grabbed most eyeballs was that of the President hosting a football team for lunch with nothing but burgers and pizzas served to them since the kitchen staff wasn’t working.
What’s the status now?
The shutdown ended on January 25 after 35 days. For now, the democrats and republicans are negotiating on funding for the wall and only time will tell if the country plunges into yet-another shutdown.
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