Good Morning.
A government shutdown happens when Congress cannot agree on a budget. In regard to the current mess, it is difficult to keep the players and the issues of contention straight because there are so many of them. The alt-right wants Obamacare obliterated, but the more pragmatic realize that isn't possible in one big fell swoop. The more reasonable also want to save the DACA program and figure out a way to treat the dreamers decently, while the hardliners want them deported. The CHIP program that helps disadvantaged kids with their health care needs is also up for discussion, i.e. you libs do what we want or we won't take care of babies who need their DPT shots. What they want more than anything on the planet earth is the wall, even if they have to pay for it rather than Mexico.
Meanwhile, thousands of government workers aren't getting paid - that does not include Congress, of course - the National Parks are closed, and even the Statue of Liberty is out of commission. Mail service continues as well as tax collection during this season of giving. The CDC isn't open, however, even though the flu epidemic is particularly scary this year.
The president, who reportedly had struck a compromise deal but then changed his mind, was planning to go to Mar-a-Lago
for a $100,000 per couple soiree to celebrate his first year in office but had to beg off because of the upheaval. Out in full swing across the country were millions of women not inclined to celebrate the milestone.
There was a lot of split-screen reporting over the weekend with the shutdown on one side and the women's marches on the other. Crawling across the bottom of the screen was this business about a porn star named Stormy Daniels who was apparently paid to keep her mouth shut about an adulterous affair with the Commander in Chief. Someone remarked that
during a different news cycle, Stormy would be getting much more attention, but someone else said that people have
gotten so used to hearing about presidential misbehavior that it's no big deal anymore. Lovely.
This is how you fix at least some of this tommyrot: Congress doesn't get a salary, including benefits, for one whole year. The Capitol remains open in case they start acting like adults, but the Senate dining room, gyms, and other perky places are all closed. The president reportedly doesn't take a salary and doesn't need one, but Air Force One is grounded so he can't fly to another rally, a weekend of golf, or to Russia when he's feeling particularly depressed. All of the above individuals are required to perform volunteer work immediately, starting with feeding the animals at the National Zoo that is one of the casualties of the shutdown. Just a thought.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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