Last Monday, Sept. 30, Congress failed to pass a spending bill to fund the government, causing a shutdown of all nonessential government offices and departments as a new fiscal year began on Oct. 1.
According to CNN, more than 800,000 government employees are furloughed, and Gov. Mike Beebe of Arkansas said as many as 2,000 of Arkansas’ state workers are furloughed.
The Huffington Post, in an article published on Oct. 3, broke down the effects of the shutdown on each state. The following items were listed for Arkansas: more than 85,000 meals for Arkansas children dependent on WIC or SNAP programs are at risk for being ended, the Clinton Presidential Center closed permanent exhibits to walk-in visitors and federal workers earning $11,000-a-year to work at a shelter in Little Rock were forced to work without pay.
Former President Bill Clinton, who also served as the 42nd governor of Arkansas, spoke about the shutdown last Thursday, Oct. 3 at the 50th anniversary celebration of the dedication of Greers Ferry Dam in Heber Springs, Ark.
“This is normal,” Clinton said. “This is what has always shaped America. But what makes a democracy work is if there are some things that people decide they won’t do, even though they can, because it compromises the future of our children and the character of our country.”
As of press time, Congress had still failed to reach a decision on a spending bill.
Lori Klein, assistant professor of political science and a former state employee for Florida, said state governments receive most of their funding from block and categorical grants. With the shutdown continuing into week two, states will have to shift and figure out what they can afford to fund. Klein said this uncertainty trickles down to local governments and parks as well.
Forcing the state to fund programs, such as the nutrition program in Arkansas, will mean that the federal government owes the states more money at the end of the year, Klein said. After recent state-level economic downturn and budgets cuts, states are not in a good position to carry out the role of the federal government, Klein said.
“The overall health of the economy is dependent on a reputation of a government that works, pays its debts and (is) predictable,” Klein said. “People aren’t going to make jobs, (they will) hold on to resources because things keep getting worse and worse.”
An article in the Washington Post said a prolonged government shutdown could also mean delayed payments for students receiving Pell Grants and Direct Student Loans.
Jay Simpson, the associate director of the Office for Financial Aid Services at Harding, said their offices have not experienced any delay because of the shutdown so far.
However, he said a prolonged shutdown could indeed delay the delivery of federal student aid to Harding students.
“We have to remember that, sooner or later, we have to make a decision as a people that is good for our common future, and get the show on the road,” Clinton said.
In the days leading up to the end of the fiscal year, House Republicans insisted any new spending bill include provisions to either “defund, derail or otherwise chip away at” the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to CNN.
Senate Democrats, however, insisted the Affordable Care Act remain intact and free of provisions. The Affordable Care Act, dubbed “Obamacare” by 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, went into effect on Oct. 1 with the launch of healthcare.gov, an online marketplace to shop for healthcare plans.
