The U.S. government shut down Oct. 1 for the first time in nearly seven years due to a lack of bipartisan agreement on the federal spending bill that threatened to cut social and medical programs and funnel money to the anti-immigration effort. After the bill was blocked, funding for many government programs ceased.
During a shutdown, most parts of the government stop, with an exception to programs deemed “essential,” such as law enforcement and medical care. Despite the shutdown, most federal workers are still required to work but are not compensated, with many others being laid off or furloughed.
According to Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA), much of the Democrat frustration with the bill is due to recent changes that the Trump Administration has made concerning cuts to programs, such as the Affordable Care Act, and the reallocation of that money towards the Department of Homeland Security.
“[The Republicans] are asking us to vote for a continuing resolution that simply continues the Trump budget. Well, Democrats aren’t going to do that. I mean, the purpose of the filibuster is to form bipartisan negotiation,” Smith said.
With both Democrats and Republicans refusing to budge on stipulations for the spending bill, the shutdown has stretched into its second week. While most areas haven’t felt the impact of the shutdown due to the use of savings to compensate for the absence of funding, there have been instances of complications from a lack of workers.
For example, airports in cities all across the country have reported flight delays and cancellations for the past week, impacting travelers. This is due to some air traffic controllers protesting the shutdown by refusing to show up to work.
In spite of Trump continuing to cut Democrat programs during the shutdown, Congressman Adam Smith says that the same aggressive budget cuts don’t apply to programs Trump supports, such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency of the Department of Homeland Security.
“As far as ICE is concerned, theoretically, their budget is frozen, but Trump doesn’t really believe in following the law. He’s already made it clear that he’s going to take money from wherever he has to take it, to keep, in my view, terrorizing our local communities with ICE agents. And that’s one of the threats from Trump,” Smith said.
For international students, such as graduate student Devanshi Shah, who is in her first year of Seattle University’s school psychology program, the government shutdown is even more impactful.
“There’s a lot of anxiety for international students. Most of us take loans and come here to a new country, setting ourselves down and when we feel that the government is not really supportive, it’s very sad,” Shah said.
Shah, who is returning to her home country of India to get married soon, is worried she will miss her own wedding. Despite having all of her paperwork, if there is a complication with her trying to return overseas, the government will not be able to help her and she will be stuck.
There could also be complications for students wishing to obtain visas, as the government shutdown greatly stalls the already tedious application process. Furthermore, Shah said that the government shutdown also impacts international students who are attempting to acquire jobs in the United States.
“There are friends who have offers from companies, [but] they are not able to work because the department is shut down.”
Scott McClellan, former White House Press Secretary and current Vice President of University Affairs at Seattle University, advises that international students should visit the International Student and Scholar Center if they are concerned about the impact of the shutdown on their visas or their stay in the United States.
“[The International Student and Scholar Center] is sending out weekly communications to international students to keep them apprised of what is happening and what they need to be aware of, and they’re always monitoring the visa processing situation,” McClellan said.
When asked about the future, McClellan said that it is difficult to predict when the government shutdown will end, especially with the constant pandemonium of the present political climate. The longer the shutdown continues, the more the public grows frustrated and the government is pressured to find a solution.
“The one prediction I have is that there’s always going to be some level of uncertainty in the current administration. If the shutdown drags on for a longer period of time, then that uncertainty increases,” McClellan said. “Can they continue to [cut] these services and programs that are really essential to people, to students, to families and individuals?”
Patrick Schoettmer, an associate professor in Seattle U’s Political Science department, has similar concerns. He not only reiterated McClellan’s fears about the shutdown impacting social resources such as food banks, but also expressed worries for the future of Washington’s tourism industry, especially considering the large tourist population that is drawn towards Washington’s national parks.
“Washington was already suffering because of the tariffs and the turn against the United States after Trump became president, and so [the shutdown] is going to make an existing problem even worse,” Schoettmer said.
For more information on the government shutdown, contact your local representative.
