Morgan Reese ’21
Morgan Bramwell ’21
In light of the recent government shutdown initiated by the Trump administration, there have been a multitude of effects not only on our country, but on our community. The reasoning behind the shutdown stems from President Donald Trump’s desire for 5.7 billion dollars in order for the protection of national security and the border wall. According to a report on Fortune.com, the shutdown lasted 34 days, leaving 53,000 TSA workers without pay and 102,183 Employees in D.C. working in agencies without funding. The current value of pay owed to federal workers is approximately 3.65 billion dollars, leaving many families in jeopardy.
Within the EA community, students and their families were fortunate enough to avoid most the shutdown’s effects. But after surveying a diverse group of students, it was revealed that Benjamin and Samuel Wesley ‘20 and their parents narrowly escaped the consequences of the shutdown. Wesley’s parents work for the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. This department had a budget approved for 2019, which protected them from being affected by the shutdown.
Overall as a school, the students seem to agree on a general consensus that were not as greatly influenced by the shutdown as other communities in our areas. The majority of students feel that they are not informed enough to make a decision or opinion on the shutdown, however, some do share their opinions on its influence at EA. Josephine Buccini ‘21 says, “I think the shutdown affects every American, however, it affects EA less than most schools because we are a private school.”
Celia Gallagher ‘21 agrees and says, “I think it affected more of the adults in the community and didn’t really have an effect on the kids because most of the things we do during the day don’t have to do with the government.” Sarah Groark ‘21 adds, “I thought it was completely avoidable and put countless government employees through unfair situations. For EA, I don’t believe it affected our school at all.”
Though all government employees are eventually paid back, for some people, those monthly paychecks are the only income they get, thus putting the lives of themselves and their families in danger. Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States, however, shared his opinion on the shutdown on CBS Evening News with Jeff Glor, stating, “I don’t think it is a mistake to stand up for what you believe in.”
There have been a plethora of rumors, even by the President himself about the threat of yet another shutdown. Sam, Ben, and their parents contributed to this by sharing that, “Yes, [we do believe there is a threat of another government shutdown] especially under this presidential administration and current political climate. For my parents, they worry that when the fiscal year ends, their agency will not receive a budget for the 2020 year, resulting in zero paychecks being given.”
The current administration’s previous and present actions have affected the lives of so many Americans and until problems are resolved, the threat of another shutdown will continue to grow. The influence of the past government shutdown and a possible new one will not affect families, but the United States economy at an alarming rate.