Time to run around naked everybody! Well, not quite. I might not be a political science major, but as a student and a citizen of this country, I believe it is important to stay up to date on politics to an extent. I found that as I looked up information about the shutdown that nothing seemed to get to the point as to what it meant for me. So this one goes out to everyone like me that just wants to get down to brass tax and scroll through the stuff they don't understand.
So what does the government shutdown mean for YOU?
Health: National Institutes of Health are not accepting new patients for clinical research. They are also not answering hotline calls about medical questions. So if you have health questions, you must see your doctor. It sucks, but you gotta do what you gotta do!
Housing: The Department of Housing and Urban Development cannot provide local housing authorities with more money for housing vouchers. The nation's 3,300 public housing authorities also will not receive payments.
Immigration: The E- Verify program with the Department of Homeland Security will no longer be operating. So what does this mean for you? Probably not a whole lot. However, Businesses will not be able to check on the legal immigration status of prospective employees during the shutdown. So somebody might be getting out of jail free by crossing the border without a problem! Woohoo! Yay illegal immigrants!
Law enforcement: The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency will still be rippin' and runnin'. However, the JUSTICE department ( I always think of the crimson chin from Fairly Odd Parents whenever I say "justice"), will suspend cases for the duration of time the government is shut down.
Parks and museums: More than 400 National parks are now closed. So do not plan a trip to Yosemite because you won't get in. Or if you're planning a relaxing trip to Alcatraz in San Fran, you won't get in either. Many museums are closed too, including the Statue of Liberty. Which totally sucks if that's like the ONE THING you came to New York to see this month. So yeah, don't go to those places.
Regulatory agencies: The Environmental Protection Agency will close down almost completely during a shutdown. To be honest, I am not sure what this part entails, so look it up.
Financial regulators. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees the vast U.S. derivatives market, will shut down for the most part. Securities and Exchange Commission, will stay open along with a few other financial regulators. How relevant is this to you? Not sure, but you should probably know it.
(certain parts of) Social Security: The Social Security Administration will be staffed enough to make sure the checks keep going out. But, they will not have enough employees to help with more serious issues.
Visas and passports: No worries, you can still get a passport! Passport agencies and consular operations will remain open as long as it has enough money to do so. However, some activities might be interrupted if a passport agency is located in a government building affected by a lapse in appropriations. Also, the State Department plans to continue processing visas through the shutdown, mostly because those operations are largely funded by collecting fees. So have fun on Study abroad! Quit crappin' your pants.
Veterans: Assuming most of my readers are young, this won't affect you really. But, if you know some Veterans, tell them that some key benefits will continue and that VA hospitals will stay open. However, The Veterans Benefits Administration will not be able to process education and rehabilitation benefits. The Board of Veterans' Appeals will be unable to hold hearings. Even worse, if the shutdown continues, 3.6 veterans could be affected because the Department of Veteran affairs said that it may not have enough money to pay pension payments and disability claims.
Women, Infants, and Children: If you are pregnant or a new mom, READ CLOSELY. The Department of Agriculture is cutting off support for the Women, Infants and Children program, which helps pregnant women and new moms buy healthy food and provides nutritional information and health care referrals. If this shutdown continues, the program can only sustain itself for a week or so. The emergency funds would run out before October. So stock up now! That, or don't get pregnant. Just kidding. Kind of.
Okay! So I have tried to sum up what this shutdown nonsense means for your life. I hope I helped a little bit! I know it's all very confusing. But alas, I am here to help.
If you like how I write, you should hear how I talk! Hah! Check out my Youtube channel by clicking HERE. :)
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