One Month In and How Is America Doing?

McKenna DeRiese

President Trump partially shut down the United States government over a month ago due to an unresolved conflict between the two parties.

Thirty four days in and the United States is now marking new territory with this being the longest shutdown the United States has ever had, initiated by Trump with hopes to come to an agreement over funding for his wall over the border of the U.S. and Mexico.

According to The Balance, there are around 420,000 employees who are working without pay at the moment.

Some agencies closed are the Department of Commerce, US Department of Education, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration, The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Labor and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are not running either.

“This shutdown is different because it’s focused on a specific issue,” Mrs. Amber Zeilinger said. “It’s about border security when previously it’s been general budget issues and those can be solved quickly. This is more of a political stand and that’s why we’re at a stand still right now.”

Unlike Zeilinger, high school students have different interest levels when it comes to politics.

“I find politics confusing in some ways,” Junior Sierra Schroer said. “I also don’t like getting involved because it honestly causes problems between friends, and I don’t have a strong enough opinion on either side.”

Junior Lexi Hobleman, who follows politics, knows what’s happening at the White House and what needs to happen in order to end the shutdown.

“Basically, we are in a shutdown because both parties are stubborn,” Hobleman said. “They both want their own ways without considering the other, especially Trump who really wants his wall. Everyone says they want to compromise but nobody has actually done any compromising. The government workers are not getting paid yet, Trump expects them to work without any compensation while the government is still shut down, it’s not fair to them.”

It’s not certain when the government will be fully open, although both parties have said it’s going to end soon. For now, thousands of citizens are being affected by it everyday it’s closed.