Letter: Government shutdown drama is a shameful joke
Why do we keep electing people who pull this stunt yearly to the U.S. Congress? It has become a joke. One of Congress’s primary responsibilities is to set an annual budget. However, here we are, near the end of December, and Congress seems to have forgotten they were elected to perform that job. This situation is a matter of incompetence and needs immediate attention. Furthermore, these “hard-working” individuals believe they deserve a 3.8% raise. Employees in any other organization who fail to perform their jobs do not receive raises, so why should Congress be any different?
Congress spends hours on bills that should not take much time and waits until the last minute to address something as crucial as the budget. I used to be in awe of our representatives and senators, but after 15 years of working for the government, I have seen this scenario play out too many times. In fact, over the last 47 years, the budget has only been approved three times before the end of the year. This behavior has led to my absolute disgust with the situation.
Additionally, if the government shuts down, Congress gets paid, while soldiers and government employees do not. These actions exemplify not just budgetary mismanagement but a gross injustice. When the government reopens, those employees receive back pay, effectively reimbursing them for being on a forced unpaid vacation. Our tax dollars end up paying for individuals who are not working while the government is closed. This way of handling the budget is waste, fraud, and abuse!
Every year, as people want to go home for the holidays, Congress pushes through approvals for things that should not be rushed. They are holding federal employees and the military as hostages, which is entirely unacceptable.
Congress will continue to fail to pass a budget until we, the citizens, say enough is enough. We have contributed to this mess by allowing some members of Congress to remain in office. The lack of an approved budget is not just a problem for the government; it is a personal issue that affects everyone. Shame on us!
Terri McCulloch
North Ogden