On December 22, 2018, President Trump declared a partial government shutdown because he and Congress could not agree on terms for “the wall”, which was his primary campaign promise – a concrete wall to block the entire southern border. As of January 16, 2019, the government has been shut down for 25 days, making this the longest shutdown in our government’s history. This entire shutdown may seem complicated, but the facts are really quite simple.
Many people are confused about the government shutdown and why it is happening. Simply put, President Trump wants $5.7 BILLION in funding for his wall. Democrats and Trump have been at odds since the start, and neither side seems willing to compromise or work toward a solution. Multiple plans have been drafted, discussed, and presented, but Trump refuses to approve anything until he has the $5.7bn. Meanwhile, the Democratic party’s plans involve nothing close to that number. Many people have been severely affected by the shutdown – not just potential immigrants, but hundreds of thousands of Americans. Federal workers have not received paychecks, but are still working, which is now resulting in absences from critical jobs – Air Traffic Controllers, TSA Security agents, Food & Drug Programs, Agriculture and Farming, the list goes on. President Trump is worried about terrorists and criminals crossing the southern border, and yet he is leaving our airports wide open and exposed to the worst case scenario of terrorism. It is time for the President to do what is right for this country.