As of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, the federal government officially closed for business.<\/p>\n
In simplest terms, the government ran out of money. A Democrat-sponsored spending bill that would refund healthcare initiatives <\/a>failed in the Senate. Republicans also backed a funding bill that would have kept the lights on in Washington, D.C., but most of the party\u2019s representatives traveled home after the bill also failed in the Senate, leaving Congress half-empty and at a complete stalemate.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Republicans are in leadership,\u201d said Congresswoman Julie Johnson, who represents a large part of North Texas<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re the ones that are in charge. They\u2019re the ones that have the responsibility to get a budget passed\u2026 The Republicans are not even here\u2026 They\u2019re perfectly fine for the American people to suffer. I\u2019m in DC. Democrats are here. I\u2019m here to cast a vote, but there\u2019s no Republican here to call it.\u201d<\/p>\n Democrats have requested negotiations with Republicans, hoping to find common ground before the shutdown results in billions of dollars in missed pay and cutbacks to programming.\u00a0<\/p>\n Congress members are supposed to still be at work; they\u2019re among the few federal employees who retain their jobs during a shutdown. Most departments, like the IRS, the FDA, and the CDC, will operate on skeleton crews, with most of their staff furloughed. Those labeled as essential workers, like most of the active-duty and civilian employees within the newly renamed Department of War, will continue to report to work, but they will not receive payment until the government officially reopens.<\/p>\n The shutdown will not end until both sides of the aisle and both chambers of Congress can reach an agreement on a funding bill. In the summer, Texas Democrats fled the state, breaking quorum and stalling important votes in the Texas Legislature. The move triggered a nationwide manhunt for the missing legislators. Republicans who failed to clock in for their shift in the Capitol have been penalized. <\/p>\n \u201cThe hypocrisy of politics is jaw-dropping sometimes,\u201d said Johnson. \u201c\u2026House Republicans are not in DC. They\u2019re not here to make sure that the government stays open. I hope voters hold them accountable for that come next November.\u201d<\/p>\n Certain crucial government programs, like social security, student loan services, and veteran resources, will continue to function, though the departments managing them might experience furloughs, so processing times could slow.<\/p>\n The shutdown is the latest example of deep-seated partisanship under the current administration, and finger-pointing from both sides has already driven the narrative.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf they are so worried about the effect this is having on the American people, and they should be, what they should do is reopen the government, not complain about how we respond,\u201d Vice President JD Vance said during a press conference about the shutdown.<\/p>\n This government shutdown occurs within the same year as the president\u2019s mass layoffs<\/a> of federal employees across nearly every sector of the government, and the president\u2019s team has alluded to even more layoffs amid the freeze<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really shocking, a complete animus and lack of regard that the administration has towards our federal workforce,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cOur federal workforce keeps our government going, and we need a functioning American government.\u201d<\/p>\n What Does This Mean For Texas? <\/p>\n Estimates from April indicate that around 250,000 federal employees reside within the Lone Star State, with the largest portion of that workforce, nearly 58,000, residing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. However, it isn\u2019t just federal employees who are impacted. Texas is home to millions of people who rely on government programs, including those who utilize tax credits from the Affordable Care Act and SNAP benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s one of the key issues,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cIn my district alone, there\u2019s over 100,000 people that will have a significant impact to their health care costs if this happens. Let me be very clear. These are for people who are working in small businesses or are self-employed. These are folks who are working, who are citizens of this country, who are just trying to make ends meet. The Republican assault on the working class is just unending, and this is a classic example of it.\u201d<\/p>\n North Texas already has one of the highest rates of uninsured residents, and the rising costs of living in the region continuously erode the value of a dollar. Johnson says that many of her constituents simply cannot afford to lose their health insurance benefits, and it\u2019s not an issue she, and many of her colleagues, are willing to bend on.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality of it is that the Republican agenda does not benefit working people,\u201d said the Congresswoman. \u201cIt only benefits a very small group of very wealthy people\u2026 They\u2019re cutting any program that helps the little guy get one step ahead, and they\u2019re just lining their pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson highlights that working for the federal government isn\u2019t the most lucrative career path, and that many employees can\u2019t afford to miss a paycheck, let alone an indefinite number of paychecks, as neither party forfeits.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the biggest grift by a Republican President and his friends that we\u2019ve seen on the American people, and it\u2019s just really tragic, and Democrats are not here for it.\u201d<\/p>\n How Long Will This Go On? <\/p>\n Edward Segal, a crisis communication expert and former political press secretary, says government shutdowns aren\u2019t exactly rare, having witnessed around 20 since 1980, ranging between a few hours, a couple of days or even more than a month. The economic impact of a shutdown on federal employees will only grow as time goes on, and Segal worries there\u2019s no end in sight.\u00a0<\/p>\n