After a long “will they, won’t they” debate over President Trump’s border wall, the government shutdown has ended. Before you celebrate, remember that we are still not out of the woods because the shutdown’s death is only temporary. Although many have been concerned about the possibility of a wall along the southern border, many federal workers have been preoccupied wondering if they will be able to afford to maintain their lives. Trump had been promising his supporters a border wall ever since announcing his run for president. After he was elected, this promise was pushed aside, but recently resurfaced. After his proposal was rejected by Congress, Trump decided to pursue the shutdown to hopefully convince Democrats to allow the wall’s construction.

The government shutdown lasted a record-breaking 35 days after Democrats stood firm against Trump’s proposal for the wall. This shutdown impacted national parks, museums and worker’s paychecks. The effects of this shutdown can be seen in the now trash-filled national parks and government workers and their families that have been struggling to afford food, pay bills, etc. According to Forbes, the government shutdown cost the U.S. economy $11 Billion. Money will also have to be put towards national parks to restore them to their former glory, and Federal workers will need to be reimbursed for their unpaid work. The shutdown has wrecked national parks and innocent worker’s lives like a tornado through the mid-west.

Throughout these 35 days, 800,000 government employees have missed not one, but two paychecks. This is terrifying considering that many Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Many have been forced to give things up, such as cable or even dinner for a night to pay the bills. This can be especially difficult for workers with children, where it is harder to find unnecessary corners to cut like childcare, which can be extremely expensive. Many have taken out short-term loans with high-interest rates, gotten a second job, or gone to food shelters to get by. Sadly, the president and his administration have not shown any empathy and does not seem to understand that, for some, one paycheck is not enough to cover basic living expenses.

Even though all 800,000 federal workers will return to work with pay this week, their financial stress is far from over. This is because the bill Trump signed only ends the shutdown until February 15. The White House has threatened another government shutdown if Trump’s demands are not met. On January 30, Trump said in a tweet that the bipartisan committee of lawmakers who are negotiating border security funding is “wasting their time” if their talks don’t include a “wall or physical barrier.” Clearly, Trump has still not developed empathy and is planning to stand as firm on his plans to fund a wall as the Democrats are. Soon enough, their weight will crash down on all the innocent federal workers.

Your Turn: Do you know anyone that has been affected by the shutdown? Are you glad the shutdown has ended? Why or why not? What do you think President Trump’s next step is?