What Is the Government Shutdown?

My Twitter timeline has been blowing up with all sorts of blurbs related to the ‘Government shutdown’ and ‘Obamacare.’

Admittedly, I haven’t read them.  As you know I’ve been scrambling with this mystery sickness of mine.  But based on the sheer volume, I figured I may need to pay attention.  So let me share some of the things I’ve found out with you – my friends.

I’m not going to overwhelm you, so let’s see if we can get there w/ some Q&A.

What is a government shut down?
There are many government agencies that need to be funded each year in order to operate. If Congress can’t agree on how to fund them, they have to close down. Right now, Congress can’t agree on how to fund them. Federal benefits like Social Security and Medicare will remain open, and mail will be delivered, but other operations will cease. The National Parks and Smithsonian Museums will be closed to the public, Americans will be unable to submit new applications for federal programs, and many routine food-safety inspections will be suspended.

Be more specific, what’s closed/ open?
View HERE

Why is this just now happening in October?
The government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, so from a government perspective it’s not in the middle of the year.

What’s the holdup?
House Republicans want spending provisions to reduce Obamacare.

How is Obamacare tied to funding the government?
It’s not, but it’s being used as a bargaining chip. Again, House Republicans want spending provisions to reduce Obamacare. Democrats want the opposite; they want to prevent any funding that could reduce Obamacare.

What are some of the objections to Obamacare?
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires all Americans to have health insurance. However, opponents say it’ll hurt employers and employees by sending jobs overseas due to rising healthcare costs.

What’s the Democrats’ defense?
Obamacare prevents those with pre-existing medical conditions from being denied health insurance, and supporters say those who have health insurance will no longer have to indirectly pay for those who show up in emergency rooms uninsured.

Can this government shutdown stop Obamacare?
No.  The key parts of Obamacare rely on mandatory spending that isn’t affected by a shutdown.

How often has the government shut down before?
Since 1976, there have been 17 different government shutdowns. The longest came in 1995-’96 and lasted 21 days, as Bill Clinton wrangled with congressional Republicans over budget matters.

Do employees who keep working get paid?
The 1.3 million or so “essential” civilian employees who stay on could see their paychecks delayed during the shutdown, depending on the timing. They should, however, receive retroactive pay if and when Congress decides to fund the government again.

The 1.4 million active-service military members will get paid no matter how long the shutdown lasts. That’s because the House and Senate specifically passed a bill to guarantee active-duty military pay even when the government is closed.

Now practice talking about these points at work.

Peace!