It’s only day two of the government shutdown and Americans across the nation are already feeling the effects.
But it looks like we better buckle down and get used to it, because congressional Republicans show no signs of backing down and the political fight on Capitol Hill isn’t going anywhere…any time soon.
Even attempts to reopen the government were thrown out the window and never made it to the House, because neither side is willing to compromise.
Late Tuesday, House Republicans sought passage of legislation aimed at reopening small slices of the government. The bills covered the national parks, the Veterans Affairs Department and city services in Washington, D.C., such as garbage collection funded with local tax revenues.
The move presented Democrats with politically challenging votes but they rejected the idea, saying it was unfair to pick winners and losers as federal employees worked without a guarantee of getting paid and the effects of the partial shutdown rippled through the country and the economy. The White House promised a veto.
Meanwhile, all 401 national parks are closed, government websites and social media went dark, and 800,000 employees sit at home wondering if they will be paid “back pay” when the government reopens, while Congress continues to collect their salary.
The president is even making amends to work around the shutdown. He shortened his planned trip to Asia, calling off the final two stops in Malaysia and the Philippines. But one thing that wasn’t shut down, the one thing Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to get defunded, was Obamacare, which rolled out on Tuesday.
“Shutting down our government doesn’t accomplish their stated goal,” Obama said of his Republican opponents at a Rose Garden event hailing implementation of the law. “The Affordable Care Act is a law that passed the House; it passed the Senate. The Supreme Court ruled it constitutional. It was a central issue in last year’s election. It is settled, and it is here to stay. And because of its funding sources, it’s not impacted by a government shutdown.”
But, the finger pointing continues.
“None of us want to be in a shutdown. And we’re here to say to the Senate Democrats, ‘Come and talk to us,'” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said as GOP lawmakers designated to negotiate the shutdown legislation met among themselves before cameras and reporters. “At each and every turn, the Senate Democrats refused to even discuss these proposals.”
And the fight continues…
SOURCE: Huffington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
