A Nation On Pause: Students speak out on nation’s political divide

The current Federal Government Shutdown is the second-longest in U.S. history. So far, it has been 30 days since it began on Oct. 1, and it has led to a temporary layoff of an estimated 670,000 federal employees. In addition, about 730,000 government employees work without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. 

The shutdown was caused by a disagreement on an appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year, 2026. The bill contained budgets for federal expenditures, foreign aid cuts, and public health insurance support. The Democratic Party says the bill can be passed so long as the subsidies for the Obamacare insurance plan continue getting paid, so the people on it won’t be left without health insurance. Many Republicans don’t agree with the terms of that agreement, hence the shutdown. Now, several government officials currently work without pay, while on the other hand, many local citizens are surprisingly unaware that anything is happening at all. Freshmen Susanna Fisher, Charlie Horan, and Maddie Ramsey say it’s important to see these governmental changes and take note of them.

Fisher said that even though she isn’t very involved with politics, she has a basic understanding of the current situation. “All I know is that Democrats and Republicans are arguing over something, and they can’t decide how to spend the money.”

Fisher said she believes that government shutdowns are a good idea in theory–especially when used ethically and promptly, and that kids these days need to understand what is going on. 

“If this is going to cause them to find better ways to spend the money, then it’s fine. If it’s never going to end, obviously that’s a problem,” Fisher said. “I also think that it’s important for us to at least have a basic understanding because we’re going to be the ones running the country one day, so it’s important to understand that.” 

Ramsey said her view is similar; she believes that kids are hyper-focused on their devices and often fail to see some of the notable aspects in our world today. “Teenagers these days don’t really watch the news, and they’re more invested in YouTube or Netflix or what’s coming up next in their favorite show. Most teenagers aren’t aware of the government shutdown.”

Fisher said that solving the issue isn’t easy, but that the two political parties need to be more “friendly” with each other. 

“The only way to solve it is to have a huge majority of one party to the other in the House. I feel like that’s the only real way to prevent it,” Fisher said. “What we really need to do is find some middle ground and agree with each other more.”

According to Fisher, most of the conflict arising is due to clashing opinions and beliefs. “Everyone has different opinions because everyone was raised differently. A lot of it is based on who their parents were. People have very different opinions that they’ve grown up with their entire life, so they feel one way very strongly and can’t move past that.”

Fisher said that it probably won’t affect local civilians, but if it drags on much longer, it may. “As of right now, I don’t think that it’s going to affect people getting money, but if this never ends, obviously, people might start getting paid less.”

Horan said that food stamps are an issue as they are affected by the government shutdown, and that it is vital for our government to prioritize them. She said that it is due time for officials to gather and work out a compromise. 

“It’s been going on for quite a while; there are definitely some arising issues going on with food stamps and stuff, and I don’t see a lot of progression toward fixing it as of right now,” Horan said. “I think that they really do need to sit down and figure it out because a lot of families rely on food stamps, and the longer we wait, the less food they’re getting. I think that if people are having to get second jobs to cover it, then it’s an issue.”

Horan’s main worry is that those who depend on food stamps are left without their vital nourishment. She said that the government should prioritize making sure people are still getting the resources they live off of. 

Horan also has a similar idea to Fisher and Ramsey. She said that the future generation of leaders needs to understand how the government works.

“We are the future of the country, and these people are going to be the ones making decisions for our country,” Horan said. “I think it’s really important to at least be aware of what’s going on when you have an opinion.”

Horan said that the only way to solve this is to go in with an open mind and be mindful of others. “Just try to go in with an open mind and be open to hearing what other people have to say.”

In addition, Horan said that action must be taken soon to stop this distress. “I think that they need to just try to come to some sort of agreement because people are suffering.”