At the time of writing, the United States federal government is partially shut down over a dispute on whether the border wall proposed by President Donald Trump will be funded. On Dec. 20, former House Speaker Paul Ryan stated that Donald Trump would not sign the temporary spending bill passed by the Senate because it did not include any funding for the border wall. As a result, funding partially ran out for the federal government.
The government shutdown has caused several departments — such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Agriculture — to not have enough funds to continue their operations. This has caused severe consequences that put a lot of citizens in jeopardy. This shutdown is extremely unethical because citizens are being abused as a political tool.
One of the most obvious consequences as a result of the partial government shutdown is the number of federal workers being furloughed, or temporarily barred from working. It is estimated that 800,000 federal workers may not be getting paid. This is obviously disastrous because it means that these people don’t have enough money to pay their bills and support their family.
There are undoubtedly some NC State students whose families include federal workers who cannot work or have to work without pay. This could cause these students to not receive enough funds to pay for tuition, housing, textbooks or other expenses, especially ahead of key official billing dates. The government shutdown can prevent people from paying for college, putting them at risk of serious debt or potentially having to drop out.
Another repercussion of federal workers not getting paid is that they are not showing up to work. For example, an increasing number of TSA workers are calling in sick, leading to longer lines and more frustration at airports. So far, Raleigh-Durham International Airport hasn’t experienced issues, although as paychecks start being missed this situation could easily change.
In addition, several national parks are experiencing upticks in pollution due to nobody maintaining these natural environments, threatening the local wildlife. Due to many federal workers not getting paid, it has created a ripple effect, causing these wide-ranging repercussions.
Finally, the partial government shutdown could potentially jeopardize the food stamp program. Although the Department of Agriculture said there are enough food stamps to last through the month of February, there might not be enough for March. This means that millions of Americans will experience food insecurity if the government does not reopen soon.
According to DASA, 14 percent of NC State students experience some form of food insecurity. If the partial government shutdown persists, these students may not receive enough food.
So who is to blame for the partial government shutdown? While some would argue that the Democrats are responsible, the one to blame is President Donald Trump. This is because he could have signed the bill in late December that would have prevented the shutdown, and because he has stated that he would take the blame for it.
What Trump is doing is essentially holding people hostage until he gets a border wall. Now, there are many reasons why a border wall won’t solve anything, but the problem is that he is not serving the public. The role of the President, and the government as a whole, is to serve and protect American citizens.
Instead of building a wall, Trump should seek other forms of increased border security, such as cameras, sensors or the hiring of more security guards. Democrats might give support for these options, which could be cheaper and more effective than building a wall.
It is not wrong to have border security, but it is immoral and unethical for a leader to hold his citizens metaphorically hostage to get what he wants. What Trump should do is talk with the Congressional Democrats to come up with a bill that satisfies both parties and ends this government shutdown.
