the US shutdown
AT midnight on 30 September the US government officially shut for the first time in more than 17 years, after the Senate and the House of the Representatives failed to pass a federal spending bill to keep the government running.The US government has been shutting its non-essential services because US politicians on Capitol Hill haven’t managed to agree new budget for the new US financial year (which started on 1 October).
The side effects would be tremendous such as unemployment, falling of stock price and some immediate effects, such as the closing of national parks and museums, would be easily seen, while other services may only see delays.
A government shutdown occurs when a government discontinues providing services that are not considered “essential.” Typically, essential services include police, fire fighting, armed forces, utilities and corrections. Interestingly, Congress and the President are exempt from the furlough and continue to receive compensation despite the fact that other services are suspended.Hundreds of thousands of workers are told to take an unpaid holiday.Citizens will be the biggest victim from the incident. Stores and restaurants near federal buildings relying on daytime foot traffic would suffer and Metrorail revenues would plummet from lower ridership.
