Millions of furloughed federal employees live paycheck to paycheck and will be hurt by Trump’s temper tantrum over the budget that forced a government shutdown. Yes, they will almost certainly receive full back pay when the shutdown is over (as has happened in all previous shutdowns.) However that doesn’t help when the mortgage or rent are due and there is no expected year-end check to pay for it.
Federal contractors get hit even harder, as they get no back pay. There is a ripple effect thta goes way outside the government. Businesses that deal with the government or government employees suddenly have little or no business. Your business sells office supplies to the government? So sorry, you may need to furlough drivers and warehouse personell. Restaurants in D.C. expecting big year end business are probably now wondering if they will have any customers.
It’s not just in D.C. The government has employees everywhere. Read #ShutdownStories hashtag on Twitter. It’s sobering. People are posting about how they may not be about to pay bills soon.
Once the Democrats take the House back on January 3, there will be fusillades of subpoenas, hearings, and investigations aimed at Trump and his corrupt kids and his cohorts. The Mueller report, which will be made public, will destroy whatever fragments remain of Trump’s credibility. He’s done. Everyone knows it. However, it absolutely will get ugly.
Meanwhile Trump is desperately trying to shore up support on his right flank by bellowing about his idiotic wall. It won’t work. Pelosi and Schumer are going to clobber him. Meanwhile, let’s all do all we can to force Trump to end the shutdown. The end game is coming. Buckle up.