POLITICS

It’s the 123rd birthday of Yosemite National Park. To celebrate, visit a national park, a system called “America’s Best Idea.” Oh, wait. YOU CAN’T.

A government shutdown is now upon us. The House and Senate couldn’t agree on a bill to fund the government, and time has run out. So . . . what does this mean? (Washington Post)

Use our resources to get an idea about what government is and what it funds in the U.S.

Discussion Ideas

• Skim the Washington Post blog entry, or read this similar FAQ from USA Today. A lot of the debate surrounding the government shutdown is about workers (800,000 of them, according to the New York Times) being furloughed. What is a furlough?
  • A furlough is a period of unpaid leave. The employee is not laid off or fired, but they are essentially out of work. Furloughed employees usually return to work after the furlough ends.

• The WaPo blog assures us that a “government shutdown” does not mean every resource or service offered by the federal government will stop operating. Workers and resources have been divided into “essential” and “non-essential.” There is no magic formula to decide who is essential—each agency decides for itself. What are some resources or services that you think are “essential” to the United States?
  • Hear federal employees explain why they think they are essential or non-essential in an interesting survey from the Washington Post.
  • This terrific graphic from the New York Times gives some concrete examples.
    • scientists working with the International Space Station
    • meteorologists who forecast hurricanes and tornadoes
    • air-traffic controllers
    • the military

• Is Congress considered “essential”?
  • Absolutely. Their pay is guaranteed by the Constitution, no matter what.

• Can you think of some activities typical Americans won’t be able to do during the federal government shutdown?
  • go camping, hiking, or sight-seeing in a national park. They’re all closed.
  • get a flu shot from the Center for Disease Control. That program has been furloughed.
  • get food assistance. The USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) has been furloughed.
  • get help from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare). States may pick up some funding, but it’s up to those states.
  • enroll in a new Head Start program. The program has cut all new funding.
  • get a student loan or Pell grant. Those programs have not been furloughed, but their payments have been slowed.
  • follow Curiosity, the Mars rover. About 98% of NASA will be furloughed, and its livestreams are dark.
  • get a federally backed mortgage (help to buy a house). That program has been furloughed.
  • visit one of the Smithsonian Institution museums. They’re all closed.
  • get or renew a passport or visa. That program has been suspended.
  • watch the adorable baby panda at the National Zoo on its panda-cam. That livestream is dark. (Although the zoo personnel taking care of the pandas and other animals are “essential”.)
  • get a firearm permit. That program has been furloughed.
  • adopt a wild horse or burro. That program has been furloughed.
  • collect a disability claim from the Department of Veterans Affairs (if the shutdown lasts more than a couple weeks)—that’s right, this guy might not be getting paid, but Congress will.