AMERICANS FRUSTRATED OVER GOVT. SHUTDOWN

        Washington , 29 Dul Qo’idah 1434 / 5 October 2013 ( MINA ) – The government that’s said to be for the people, by the people–is apparently not working FOR the people. As thousands of Americans are being furloughed during a government shutdown.
        Americans are growing weary of their government after lawmakers from the leading political parties have not reached a compromise over how to manage the nation’s finances. The disagreement has led to a government shutdown that is headed into a full week with lawmakers unlikely to find a resolution over the weekend.
        There are nearly 800 thousand government workers like these being furloughed some are representing themselves here at a protest. But as the federal government is the US’ biggest employer nearly 2 million people could have their paychecks delayed.
         Even the White House is being affected. A building that’s usually full of staffers and assistants has been pared down. The White House spokesman Jay Carney finds himself answering phone calls directly nowadays.
        On a normal day, more than 1,700 people work for the Executive Office of the President, now only 440 people are able to report to work.
         Although most Americans blame House Republicans for the shutdown according to recent polls. Barack Obama says there are no winners here, Press TV reported as monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
         Desperation is being felt by Congress members. There is currently a move being crafted by Senate Democrats that could override the House Republican inspired logjam to vote on a clean resolution to end the shutdown.

       Members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) called on the government to reopen after its first shut down in seventeen years. AFGE also called on Republicans to act more sensitively regarding the country’s economy.
     Holding a press conference at the working offices of the US Congress House of Representatives along with representatives from the Democrats, the members carried banners reading “We want to work.”

       Democrats such as John Delaney, Steany Hoyer and Jim Moren, led by David Cox supported the AFGE during the demonstrations.

       Noting that the reopening of government would be one of the best services, the speaker of the group called on Republicans to act more sensitively regarding the country’s economy.   

The White House rejected a Republican plan to reopen portions of the US government on Tuesday as the first shutdown in 17 years closed landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and threw hundreds of thousands of federal employees out of work.

       The back and forth offered no sign that President Barack Obama and Republicans can soon end a standoff over health care that has sidelined everything from trade negotiations to medical research and raised new concerns about Congress’s ability to perform its most basic duties.

        The Republican plan would restore funding for national parks, veterans services, and the District of Columbia. Other government services would remain unfunded. While the selective funding approach appeared to unite conservative and moderate Republicans for now, the White House said Obama would veto it.

        Republicans who control the House of Representatives said Obama could not complain about the impact of the shutdown while refusing to negotiate. “The White House position is unsustainably hypocritical,” said Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner.

        Democrats who control the Senate said they would reject it before it reached Obama’s desk. (T/P04/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)