Approximately seven days have passed since the United States
Congress has enacted a government shutdown. All pressing matters pertaining to
American and international operations have been pushed aside until Democratic
Senate and Republican House members can reach an agreement about spending
priorities for 2014. Fox News reports that the slimdown that
kicked in October 1 has also resulted in Congress delaying work on other,
pressing matters because members have had to slash their staff, which organizes
hearings and helps draft legislation.
Each side blames the other for their unwillingness to
negotiate these matters while citizens are penalized by issues revolving the
shutdown. Some American workers are on furlough, not receiving paychecks
timely, and wondering about the long-term effects that the shutdown will have
on domestic soil as well as international affairs.
The United States is one of the world’s primary economic
powers, and CNN states that when similar issues
emerged in 2011, UK
Business Secretary Vince Cable lamented that a bunch of "right-wing nutters" was holding the American
government and the world economy to ransom by refusing to agree the usually
routine increase in America's legal debt limit. World leaders might avoid the
blunt description used by Cable but their thoughts are probably very similar.
The U.S. is, once again, having another political gunfight over public funding and debt
issues.
In addition to the impact on the global economy, Homeland
Security remains to be questioned. So how does the shutdown impact potential
threats and acts of war? Our financial security? Our chemical inspection
facilities?
- Hundreds of thousands of Federal employees including many charged with protecting us from terrorist threats, defending our borders, inspecting our food, and keeping our skies safe will work without pay until the shutdown ends.
- During a federal funding hiatus, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must be able to cease its government operations in an orderly fashion. Certain functions and activities that will be permitted to continue are “exempt” from work restrictions specified in the Anti-Deficiency Act. The Department has developed the procedures outlined in this contingency plan that all DHS components must adhere to in the case of a funding hiatus.
- Work to protect consumers, ranging from child product safety to financial security to the safety of hazardous waste facilities, will cease. The EPA will halt non-essential inspections of chemical facilities and drinking water systems.
ABC News says: The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, is
maintaining most of its security functions, such as border patrol,
cybersecurity, Travel Security Agency travel screenings, TSA air marshals,
Coast Guard maritime security, and port security, according to its shutdown
plan–pretty much everything you’d think to worry about, in terms of
security-related federal employees. Agencies have exempted from furlough
employees whose jobs relate to the safety of life and property. The White House
did not publish shutdown plans for CIA and NSA. But
Treasury’s offices responsible for combating terrorist finances and financial
crimes have been scaled back by the shutdown, too, the official said.
These statements essentially
mean that Americans are left wide open for any type of attack – financial, terrorists,
and other forms of assaults – due to our limited human resources because of the
government shutdown. The Syrian conflict has been circulating reporting
platforms in both traditional and new media arenas, particularly over the
previous few months. With the government shutdown and the threat of chemical
warfare from Syria, it is no wonder why Americans are on edge about the recent
turn of events.
Additional reading and
articles of interest
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