Georgia Voters Face Consequences of Federal Shutdown

ATLANTA — The federal government is now closed for a third day, affecting workers and services across the country. Republicans and Democrats are pointing fingers at each other as voters in Georgia grapple with the fallout. Many residents are more concerned about how long this shutdown will last than about who is responsible for its onset.

The last significant shutdown lasted 35 days, from December 2018 to January 2019, during which many federal employees, including those at Transportation Security Administration at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport, went unpaid. “We did mass distributions of food, and there were hundreds of cars in line of people who needed help,” said Kyle Waide, president of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Waide is uncertain if his organization will see a slight uptick in needs or something more severe if the shutdown goes on for weeks. He emphasized that the food bank will do what it can to assist families, but if funding for federal programs, like Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), dries up, they may be unable to meet the demand for essentials such as baby formula. “There will be more demand at the food banks that they will have to respond to on top of that outstanding level of need that they are already facing,” he explained.

Additionally, employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta face furloughs during this already challenging period. Yolanda Jacobs, president of the union representing many CDC employees, expressed concern over what feels like malice in the current administration’s handling of the shutdown. “It feels like there’s a malicious intent now, compared to the last shutdown,” Jacobs said.

Georgia farmers, too, are facing potential delays in important funding and crucial agricultural data. Ben Parker, national affairs coordinator at the Georgia Farm Bureau, stated, “Very few things in this world have to be done on time. Planting and harvesting are two of them.” He added that the standoff in Congress is distracting lawmakers from passing a much-needed Farm Bill.

At the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, director Brittany Jones of the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy is worried about the long-term impacts of a lengthy shutdown. With only five park service employees remaining to cover nine park sites, she stressed the importance of maintaining the park while emphasizing that they cannot take on the park’s management.

Mary Keesee, an 83-year-old frequent visitor of the park, said she is uncertain of who to blame for the shutdown. “I heard something about the Democrats wanting to give free health insurance, but I’m not sure to whom,” she admitted.

Democrats are insistent on securing a deal for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Without these subsidies, many policyholders face increased premiums that could become unaffordable. Lauren Colbert, executive director of the advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future, noted that enrollment in Georgia’s health insurance marketplace has tripled since the subsidies were enacted.

Among those affected are Stephen and Amantha Moore, who just arrived in Georgia from Massachusetts for a national parks road trip. They expressed both respect for Democrats standing firm on their policies and confusion over how long they can sustain this approach amid the shutdown’s repercussions.

This area of Atlanta will be crucial during the upcoming midterms, particularly for Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who recently voted against a Republican bill aimed at temporarily funding the government. Voters like Reg Hunter voiced their thoughts, not hesitating to point blame at Democrats, while others like Thomas Nelson find their positions influenced by how the situation unfolds.

The ongoing shutdown continues to affect countless individuals and families, prompting more to reevaluate their trust in officials as they await resolution.