First of all, Trump owns the government shutdown. He said on national TV that he would do it and would, in fact, be proud to do it if he didn't get what he wanted. His attempts to now blame the Dems for the shutdown are disingenuous. This makes no sense - you can't do something because you didn't get what you want, and then blame someone else for not getting what you want after doing exactly what you threatened to do. You created the situation, and you own it.
There are 800,000 federal workers being held hostage in this standoff, plus a larger number of government contractors who are not being paid. The federal workers will probably get back pay once this is resolved; for some of them, it will be too late. The contract workers will probably not get back pay. Lives and families are being shattered over a dispute about funding for a wall that one TX congressman correctly called a 3rd Century solution to a 21st Century problem.
And it's not just the fact that people aren't getting paid. FBI agents are reporting that they are expected to pay their own airfare when sent on assignment, and they can't do that. Ongoing investigations are being stopped because they can't pay for the resources they need. TSA agents are calling in sick, causing long lines at airports. Many of these folks are doing what they need to do to support their families by taking on other jobs, and they can't be faulted for that. Some will leave permanently, which will leave the departments understaffed with no funds to recruit new employees. Trump, by his intransigence in order to deliver on a stupid campaign promise, has actually put the country at more risk.
But he doesn't care and he doesn't understand. In his world, someone wins and someone loses, and he wants to be the winner. The fact that over a million Americans are being negatively impacted by what he is trying to do means nothing to him. More than that, the man who claims he wants to make us safer is actually doing the exact opposite - and his base loves it.
The Dem proposal that we just reopen the government and start paying these people again, and then start discussing immigration issues after that is reasonable - but if we do that, Trump loses whatever leverage he still has. And if the Dems give in and give him what he wants, every time in the future of what's left of his presidency, he will pull the same stunt - give me what I want or I'll shut down the government.
800,000 federal workers not getting paid for over a month. A larger number of federal contractors not getting paid. Federal departments not able to provide basic resources. The businesses in the community that relied on these folks and have seen their business drop off so dramatically that some will be forced to close.
Literally, millions of Americans have been affected by this spitting contest, only because Donald Trump wants his wall.
I hope you Trumpsters are proud of the pain he's inflicted on your fellow Americans - people who had absolutely NOTHING to do with the problem he and Congress are trying to resolve, but are now being held as hostages by Trump to try and force a decision in his favor. I'm sure those who are evicted from their homes or struggle to feed their families will understand that this is for the greater good...
All this over a stupid wall that won't work, but he promised he would build it, and that Mexico would pay for it. And the Trumpsters seem to have forgotten that last part of the promise.
MAGA (Mueller Ain't Going Away) |
