Millions of families are hurt by this government shutdown, while the members of Congress — who are in fact the real problem — are not affected at all.
While members of Congress sit on $175,000 plus dollars a year, me and two of my other roommates have fathers going without pay. Even with both parents working, my family is often living paycheck to paycheck. Not only is my father out of a paycheck, he is required to work without pay.
The fathers of my two other roommates are simply furloughed and have no chance of getting that pay back.
CNN said, “The shutdown could cost the still-struggling U.S. economy about $1 billion a week in pay lost by furloughed federal workers.” Economist Brian Kessler believes the economic impact will be far greater — that a three-to four-week shutdown would cost the economy about $55 billion.
Recent polls suggest 68 percent of the American people believe shutting down the economy for even a few days is a horrible idea. If our government is truly “for the people and by the people” we should not be seeing such a percentage of disapproval.
If three of the six girls living in my apartment are affected, I cannot even imagine how many families are going to struggle.
The government is not acting for the people. The government is not acting by the people. The government is not helping the people; it is hurting millions of American families.
Amanda Sorensen
Fredericksburg, Va
