Government shutdown continues

Published 5 years ago -


Tyler Cullen

Staff Writer

This January has been dominated by both the presence and impact of the ongoing government shutdown. Both sides in which have made it clear that this shutdown is about one thing: border security. With Democrats taking a hard stance against Donald Trump and his wall, and Republicans once again looking for funding, a stalemate over such an issue was inevitable. The president has made it clear that he will not cooperate until 5.7 billion dollars is allocated in order to build the wall on the southern border of the country.

Not only is he fighting to keep a campaign promise, but President Trump has also mentioned the multitude of benefits that come with a border wall and additional security measures. The main benefits would be deterring illegal immigration and blocking the flow of drugs that come into the country through the southern border. Donald Trump has also argued that the wall pays for itself, stating that illegal immigration costs the United States 200 billion dollars per year.  

Democrats have continuously been critical of the president and his claims. Democrats have mostly denied Trump’s claim that the necessity of additional security at the southern border constitutes a national emergency. This was apparent in the Democratic leadership response to the president’s televised address when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) stated that the crisis at the southern border had been completely manufactured, and was nothing but fear mongering.

Democrats are also critical of Donald Trump and his handling of the shutdown due to the fact that hundreds of thousands of federal workers have either been forced to take leave or are working without pay. Not to mention that these workers will continue to be affected if the government shutdown continues. Officially being the longest government shutdown in American history, both sides are constantly trying to play the blame game while federal workers are feeling the brunt of this bureaucratic battle. 

It is clear that tensions between the two parties over the wall and border security have been the center of attention, and will most likely play a role in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. Regardless of politics, the facts are on the table, thousands of illegal immigrants are allowed into America every year and cost Americans millions of dollars.

However, at the moment hundreds of thousands of federal workers are not able to work, and get paid, only making the shutdown more impactful on Americans. Fortunately, there could be an agreement soon where Trump or the Democrats concede some ground in order to reopen the government. Until an agreement is officially made the American people will be forced to wait it out.

Tyler Cullen, a first-year,  studies Political Science. He is a staff writer for Le Provocateur.

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