The US government shutdown has entered its 36th day, and an expert has warned that a key service could face a serious issue whenever it comes to an end.
On October 1, the US was thrown into chaos when it was announced that the federal government would be shut down, and as of today (November 5), it has been 36 days since then, making it the longest shutdown in US history.
As Republicans and Democrats continue to engage in a tug-of-war over a new funding deal, tons of federal workers have been either furloughed or working without pay, which is impacting numerous public services.
According to the BBC, the cracks are beginning to get worse, as concerns surrounding air travel have led to considering closing some US airspace, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News, as he said they could be looking at 'mass flight delays' and 'mass cancellations' a week from today because they don't have air traffic controllers.
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Meanwhile, Americans who rely on food assistance from services like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been suffering as funding has been cut, leading the government to dip into emergency funds.
While there's seemingly no clear indication that the shutdown will end any time soon, there are still issues regarding what will happen when its over.
Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University Charles M. Cameron spoke to UNILAD and highlighted the issues American citizens are set to face.
Health insurance could 'skyrocket'
Cameron said that whenever the shutdown comes to an end, many Americans could see their health insurance cost dramatically rise.
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He said: “The cost of health insurance for many people is about to skyrocket. That is a huge problem that has to be addressed even if Congress funds the government for a few weeks. It’s a big mess.”
While an end to the shutdown could mean that Congress has agreed on a budget for a few weeks, Professor Cameron warned that both sides will have to deal with the health industry issues for the long term.
He added: “The health insurance costs are going to be a major problem for all members of Congress. This is a big deal for both sides and will be very painful, and likely quite expensive, to fix... fixing a huge budget mess is the real problem.”
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Currently, the shutdown is causing significant problems for people regarding their healthcare.
According to the BBC, around 24 million people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, and the majority of these people used to receive tax credits to lower their monthly price.
But due to the shutdown, these tax credits are set to expire. Without these credits, the monthly cost rises by 114 per cent on average, according to the nonprofit organization KFF.
When the government shutdown ends, there will likely be a lot of talk regarding subsidies as Democrats are seeking to renew them to reverse steep cuts made to Medicaid, while some Republicans have insisted that they do not support the subsidies.
How long is the shutdown expected to last?
While there's been no official confirmation, there's some optimism that we could soon be looking at an end.
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On Tuesday (November 4), the Senate failed to reach a resolution for the 14th time, leading to another stalemate, CBS News reports.
According to NBC News, talks amongst senators are picking up, with Senator Markwayne Mullin saying he was 'pretty confident' about it possibly ending this week.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said he thinks that 'there are people who realize this has gone on long enough', and 'it's time to end it'.
CBS further states that some Republicans are expecting Democrats to be more willing to reopen the government following yesterday's elections.
Gerrard Kaonga