With Speaker-in-name-only Kevin McCarthy unable to get his MAGA House GOP in order, Americans are bracing for a government shutdown that would have devastating impacts — from weakening our national security and strength at the border to undermining democracy by jeopardizing essential aid to our allies in Ukraine, halting essential inspections that keep our food and water safe, kneecapping the Social Security Administration’s ability to help seniors, keeping service members from receiving their paychecks, stopping critical medical research, and more. 

As MAGA Republicans bring us to the brink of a government shutdown over a laundry list of partisan policies, a majority of American adults know that a Republican shutdown would affect them personally. 

Axios: “More than half of American adults say a shutdown of the federal government would affect them personally — and 68% say the threat of one decreases their trust in the government, a new survey says.”

For all the GOP pretends to care about securing our border, their proposed cuts could jeopardize funding for Customs and Border Protection — and if they let the government shut down, it could weaken security at the border.

The White House: “What would it mean for the American people if House Republicans’ proposed 8% cuts were extended for the entire year? … 800 fewer Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers”

Dallas Morning News: “A congressional report after the last budget stalemate in 2019 found border security deteriorated markedly during the furloughs, creating significant vulnerabilities that lasted long after federal workers returned to work.”

A government shutdown could endanger our allies in Ukraine and undermine democracy by jeopardizing essential aid as they fight Putin’s unprovoked bloody war. 

Washington Post: “Top defense officials in recent days have signaled that a shutdown next month could prove uniquely disruptive — even inhibiting their ability to provide some foreign military aid. That includes the supply of select materiel to Ukraine as it continues to fend off Russia, which some House Republicans oppose.”

MAGA House Republicans’ government shutdown would stop some essential inspections that ensure food safety and water quality. 

Washington Post: “Some federal inspections that ensure food safety and prevent the release of hazardous chemicals in drinking water would be halted, the Biden administration has warned. Federal research toward cancer cures and other innovative therapies would cease. Passport offices in parts of the country are expected to close, snarling some Americans’ plans for international travel.

“And with each passing day, Washington would further deplete federal safety-net programs that carry over their unused money from past years. Eventually, the government may not be able to provide some poor families with child care, nutrition assistance, housing vouchers or college financial aid. The longer a shutdown persists, the greater the blow it could ultimately deliver to an economy that has teetered for more than a year on the precipice of recession.”

A government shutdown would bring some essential services at the Social Security Administration to a screeching halt, greatly impacting seniors’ ability to access essential benefits. 

The Hill Opinion: “Customer service at the beleaguered Social Security Administration (SSA) is already suffering from chronic underfunding by Congress. In the event of a shutdown, SSA employees would be forced to continue working (without being paid until the shutdown ended) and they’d be limited to performing only their most basic work functions. Non-automated and non-exempted SSA operations would come to a screeching halt. Current work backlogs would begin to grow again. If that happens, seniors hoping to submit new Social Security claims, replace Social Security cards, or report a change in status may experience delays until the shutdown ends.”

The GOP pretends to support our troops, but if MAGA Republicans refuse to get their act together, service members could be forced to work without pay. 

CBS News: “Members of the military and federal law enforcement would continue going to work, but may not be paid until Congress approved government funding. Most civilian personnel working for the Defense Department, such as military technicians, would be furloughed, and military personnel may step in to carry out their work, according to a contingency plan for the continuation of essential operations issued by the Pentagon in August.”

If a shutdown drags on long enough, disability payments for America’s veterans could be halted. 

CBS News: “But there can still be ramifications for veterans, especially if a shutdown drags on for an extended period of time. During the October 2013 shutdown, VA officials warned that disability payments might be stalled if the closure lasted beyond several weeks.” 

And essential medical research into diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s could be stalled. 
ABC News: “According to the White House, an upcoming shutdown could delay new clinical trials for cancer and other research, halt food and environmental inspections, and put disaster relief programs at risk.”