“The Countdown to Government Shutdown: No Agreement in Sight!

As the American government slams the doors shut with the pending possibility of a government shutdown in just days, no agreement is in sight. With the clock ticking down and time running out, government and administration representatives are at loggerheads, each side refusing to budge on different points and policies. The disagreement mainly centers around President Trump’s insistence on $5 billion to fund his long-promised wall along the US-Mexico boarder. Democrats are calling for a smaller amount of funding, which Trump has rejected. There have been some reports of progressions being made towards meeting in the middle over the amount, but the situation is still dicey. The potential shutdown of government operations and services does not bode well for the American people. With the lack of an agreeable compromise with both sides adamant about their respective points of view, all non-essential government employees are likely to be furloughed as soon as, or shortly after, midnight of December 21. Passing the budget at this point has become a do-or-die situation. House Representative Steny Hoyer has made an appeal for a quick resolution to the issue, and a bill has been proposed to avert the government shutdown while also including some exclusionary funding for border security. At the opposite end of the negotiation table, a decision in one way will be an insult to the other party. At this point, it’s uncertain which direction the battle for the budget will take. If an agreement isn’t reached soon, not only will the government face large-scale repercussions, but more importantly, millions of citizens will have to suffer the brunt of the chaos.