Political Writing - U.S. Government Shutdown and Its Impact on Americans

This week’s blog will deviate from topics surrounding the United States prospective role in the Syrian conflict to address breaking news affecting Americans in every community.

President Obama announced a possible GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN September 30, 2013 for the first time in 17 years, due to disagreement among Congress concerning America’s deficit. According to Fox News, each year, Congress is supposed to come to an agreement on a dozen appropriation bills to fund federal agencies and set spending priorities and limits. The current Congress hasn't been able and has resorted to stopgap budgets to keep the government going. The last stopgap was passed on March and ended yesterday at 11:59 p.m.

A government shut down will impact and disrupt international and American operations. The President states that Congress wants him to agree to a long list of demands including cutting taxes for the extremely wealthy and gutting the health care law. The issue at hand would be detrimental to the United States’ economic stability. Please see President Obama’s speech below regarding the crisis.

The shutdown will not only affect governmental progress, it will also cause distress to U.S. citizens – from the average person to small-business owners to government employees to veterans to NASA personnel and beyond. The President believes the threat of a shutdown is essentially about the new health care bill, as emphasized in the following news press.

CNN states that Republicans and Democrats couldn't agree on a spending plan for the fiscal year that started Tuesday as they wrangled over Obamacare, leaving federal coffers short, which is what caused the shutdown. CNN also believes the health care law isn't directly tied to funding the government, but it's being used as a bargaining chip. A group of Republicans, led by freshman Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, believe the president's signature domestic policy achievement is so bad for the country that it is worth disrupting government funding to undercut it.

Fox News reports, a prior Republican effort to include a provision defunding Obamacare in the budget bill failed. House Republicans then voted, early Sunday, to add amendments delaying the health care law by one year and repealing an unpopular medical device tax.

“Senate Democrats have made it perfectly clear that they’d rarther shut down the federal government than accept even the most reasonable changes to Obamacare,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell countered.

It appears that Obamacare has stimulated the shutdown and Congress members' disposition over spending priorities and limits. Nevertheless The Washington Post cites, “The Affordable Care Act is moving forward. That funding is already in place. You can’t shut it down,” Obama warned Republicans as the final hours before the shutdown deadline ticked away. According to President Obama, Americans will be able to apply for health benefits under the Obamacare program. Citizens seeking such benefits will not be affected even during the government shutdown. Yet, the latest findings across the nation contradicts this information.

Facts

N.J. News headline: Obamacare exchanges: not working as planned

Twitchy US Politics headline: Surprise! Obamacare health insurance exchanges website don’t work; HealthCare.gov a total mess

Yahoo! News headline:  HealthCare.Gov experiences delays on first day

NBC News headline: Obamacare is here and so are the glitches

I concluded with this information because the American public must be in the know. We depend on our government's credibility and expect them to follow through with what has been relayed to us. Those who have supported this plan, looked forward to its impact, and attempted to secure health coverage through Obamacare have fallen victim to government propaganda once again. Now we Americans must all play the game of "wait and see."

Additional reading and related articles:

Fox News – Congress misses deadline, sending government into partial shutdown

Fox News – Here Comes Obamacare & A Government Shutdown

CNN – Government shutdown: What’s closed, what’s open?

CNN – Poll: GOP would bear the brunt of shutdown blame 

USA Today – 66 questions and answers about the government shutdown

Political Writing - Americans’ Perspectives of ObamaCare (interview)

As year-end approaches, more opinions surface regarding America’s health care system reformation under the ObamaCare plan, formerly “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective in 2014. According to the United States Census Bureau, more than 46 million U.S. citizens are without health insurance and the ObamaCare plan will work to ensure affordable coverage for middle to low-income individuals and families.

ObamaCare Highlights

Prohibits:

Disapproval for pre-existing conditions

Coverage termination for illnesses

Out-of-pocket overcharges

Offers:

The Exchange

Tax credits/low-cost coverage

Public health insurance option

The Washington Post conducted a poll indicating that after the law passed in 2010, 74% of moderate and conservative Democrats backed the reformation. However, a recent survey suggests only 46% continue to support the plan, an 11-point decline since mid-2012. Liberal Democrats stand at high levels of support at 78%.

Kimberly Strassel with the Wall Street Journal explains:

Democrats for three years have comforted themselves with the thought that 2014 would be the year they broke free of the ObamaCare night sweats…Once the law was up and running, Americans would wake up to its benefits. Or so they believed. Instead, it is Democrats who are waking up – to a horror film. Every morning brings fresh news of terror: missing deadlines, programs running out of money, premiums set to soar, flailing technical implementation.”

Americans, too, have decreasing support of ObamaCare. The Washington Post cites, 42% support and 49% oppose, retreating from 47% apiece last July. Americans across Dallas/FT. Worth explain their positions.

Jeannine Batiste, 43 of Pleasant Grove, Tx, stated: “My daddy was diagnosed with cancer about five years ago. He didn’t have insurance. He couldn’t afford it. He did get on state aide, which didn’t help much though. But maybe with ObamaCare, he’d still be alive today. She supports the plan and hopes no other Americans would have to live her story.

Alicia Gomez, 19, awaited her next class at the University of Texas at Arlington and agreed to share reasons she supports ObamaCare. “My parents have a traditional marriage – mom raises four children and dad works as a mechanic. They tried to apply for Medicaid, but our household income is above the qualifying amount. Insurance is too expensive for all of us, so we just do without and pray to St. Anthony that we all stay healthy.”

Patrick Duncan, 27, intervened, “Why should the government dictate my expenses? If I decide not to pay for coverage, that should be my choice, not the President’s. Americans shouldn’t be forced to enroll in insurance if we don’t want to.”

Adult student Cedric Odom, 35, worried about long-term effects of low premiums, co-pays, and tax credits. Odom considered issues argued by Republicans and Democrats. “Where will financial resources for this plan come from over the next few years? Will this put America in debt or considerably increase our taxes?” Odom asked. He, as many Americans, is apprehensive and undecided about the effectiveness and logic of ObamaCare.

Katrina Espinosa, 31, sat in an over-crowded waiting area at Bluitt Flowers Clinic to receive the Depo-Provera contraceptive. Espinosa informed, “I have a family already, great husband and two beautiful kids. But after my second pregnancy, I started having female issues. These shots help a lot, but I pay almost $100 monthly. If ObamaCare helps with that cost, then I am for it.” Espinosa continues wading through ObamaCare information and potential impact on her family’s lives.

Clifford Heglar, 69, sat patiently in a wheelchair for nurses to call his name. Heglar had lost both legs due to diabetes. Yet, he took a nonchalant approach to ObamaCare, saying that he does not know much. His needs are met through Medicare and Disability programs, and ObamaCare seems irrelevant to his situation.

Of six persons surveyed, three supported ObamaCare, one opposed, one was undecided, and one did not formally vote. However, more perspectives are expected to emerge during upcoming months.