Everything that’s screwed by the US government shutdown
Donald Trump has addressed the nation about the longest US government shutdown in history, these are all the ways his country is in crisis.
US President Donald Trump has proposed an immigration deal in a bid to end a 29-day partial government shutdown, after House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leading Democrats had already said they rejected the plan.
Trump stuck to his demand that $US5.7 billion for this year to fund a US-Mexico border wall be part of any bill to fully reopen the government, an ultimatum Democrats oppose.
But the president had hoped that offering new protections for some undocumented immigrants could end a month-long impasse with Congress.
In a speech from the White House, Trump offered to extend support for legislation to protect young undocumented immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” as well as holders of temporary protected status (TPS).
Describing a US immigration system that he called “badly broken,” Trump said, “I am here today to break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown and solve the crisis along the southern border.”
He said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would seek quick passage of his proposal.
Shortly before he spoke, Pelosi, the top US Democrat, in a statement said the offer was “unacceptable” and did not “represent a good-faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives.” She said the president’s offer was unlikely to gain the votes needed to pass the House or Senate.
Mr Trump this week maintained he would install “powerful, strong border security” as the government shutdown over funding for his wall drags on.
The US President’s disapproval rate hit 55.7 per cent and 57 per cent of voters said they would not back him in 2020, but Mr Trump refuses to back down over his demand for $US5.7 billion to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Democrats will not agree to spend more than $US1.3 billion ($A1.8 billion), although they want to reopen the government as negotiations continue — something Mr Trump will not support.
He claims he has the support of federal workers, but the effects of the shutdown are becoming almost unbearable.
Ahead of a “major announcement” made this morning, in which the President proposed an immigration deal in a bid to end a 29-day partial government shutdown, here are 50 ways the shutdown is now hurting America.
1. 380,000 government workers are “furloughed” (on leave without pay).
2. 420,000 are working without pay.
3. Workers cannot pay their bills or rent and are relying on charity for groceries and essentials including nappies.
3. Tens of thousands of government contractors are going without pay — and are less likely to receive back pay.
4. Contractors could be losing up to $200 million per day.
5. Experts have warned the economy is already showing signs of a negative impact.
6. JP Morgan lowered its GDP estimate to 2 per cent from 2.25 per cent for the first quarter, citing the shutdown as the primary reason.
7. Others who need a pay cheque are seeking new jobs, leading to fears of a “brain drain” from the government.
8. Transportation Security Administration workers are calling in sick while working other jobs or looking for new ones, leading to closed checkpoints, long delays and missed flights at major airports.
9. Aviation workers say there are not enough inspectors carrying out important flight safety checks.
10. Half of staff at the Food and Drug Administration are off work, and some inspections of meat, fruit, seafood and vegetables have stopped.
11. The FBI warned the operations were being hindered with almost 5000 staff off work, investigations stalling and evidence piling up.
12. The Red Cross has had to step in to support unpaid members of the Coast Guard.
13. The backlog in immigration cases is growing with most immigration courts closed and some applicants reassigned new court dates years from now.
14. Almost all civil cases in federal courts, including discrimination and whistleblower cases, have been delayed.
15. A lawsuit relating to alleged violations by the President relating to his Trump International Hotel in Washington is on hold.
16. A lawsuit to defend the Affordable Care Act (or “Obamacare” has been delayed.
17. Some National Parks are closed as toilets overflow and litter piles up due to staff shortages, meaning lost tourism dollars.
18. Park officials said visitors thought to be making room for their cars had destroyed trees at the unstaffed Joshua Tree National Park.
19. The National Parks Services is using money intended for future projects to keep some parks open.
20. The Smithsonian’s 19 museums in and around Washington have been closed.
21. The National Zoo is closed.
22. Prisons are struggling with staff shortages.
23. Company mergers have been delayed because of a lack of staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission.
24. Farmers suffering because of Chinese tariffs on soybeans are not receiving subsidies with the Farm Service Agency shut.
25. Other farmers are hindered because the shuttered Agriculture Department has not released its supply and demand report, which helps them determine what to plant next season.
26. Manufacturers have no idea how much materials will cost this year because the Commerce Department is not processing requests for exemptions from metal tariffs.
27. Environmental Protection Agency pollution inspectors are not working.
28. Delays to tax filing are expected, with the Internal Revenue Service short-staffed and unable to answer questions.
29. Some workers and unions have sued the government over the shutdown.
30. Employers cannot use the federal system, E-Verify, to confirm whether staff have US work rights.
31. Taxi and ride-share drivers in Washington, DC, report a lack of work without tourists and federal workers in the city.
32. Restaurants, food trucks and other businesses that serve federal workers are suffering a huge decline in business.
33. Unemployment benefit costs have soared with furloughed federal workers and contractors eligible to claim.
34. The Bureau of Land Management dipped into reserve funds to open an Alaska office for public meetings on a plan to make Arctic land available for oil and gas leasing purchases.
35. Credit ratings agency Moody’s reported that mass transit systems had temporarily lost financial aid for operations including daily maintenance and service, ongoing repair and expansion projects.
36. Unfunded federal agencies have lost staff who help prevent cyberattacks.
37. Scientists have stopped work on experiments at federal research agencies, including NASA and the National Science Foundation.
38. Defence contractors said the shutdown is costing them $US10 million per week in payroll.
39. Federal Trade Commission services, including its consumer identity theft reporting system, are on hold.
40. Universities claim that the shutdown is affecting families’ ability to verify their income through the IRS and secure federal student loans.
41. Freedom of Information requests relating to closed departments and agencies are on hold.
42. Banks could lose $US249 million in monthly mortgage payments from federal workers, according to Zillow.
43. National Transportation Safety Board investigations of fatal accidents have been put on hold.
44. The Federal Communications Commission has stopped most of its operations, including its Consumer Complaint Center.
45. Business owners cannot close on Small Business Administration loans, with one saying he could lose a property he was trying to buy and money spent on appraisals and fees.
46. The National Hurricane Center is facing delays to vital upgrades.
47. States including Oklahoma are delaying contracts for road and bridge construction.
48. Food programs and health care for Native American tribes has been affected.
49. A program that provides food assistance to low-income pregnant women, new mothers and young children only has funding for January.
50. Food stamps and federal housing vouchers are only funded until the end of February.
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