With the 2019 tax season upon us, it's a little unnerving to know that if you have a question or problem and call the Internal Revenue Service for help, what you'll hear is "Welcome to the Internal Revenue Service. Live telephone assistance is not available at this time. Normal operations will resume as soon as possible."
Well, that's one way the federal government shutdown will affect you.
As of today (January 10), we are in day 20 of the shutdown. The longest shutdown began on Dec. 5, 1995 and ended on Jan. 6, 1996, during President Bill Clinton's time in office.
Among other things, that shutdown was the result of a budget conflict over tax cuts and the rate of government spending. Republicans, led by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, refused to raise the debt limit.
A temporary spending bill was passed in January of 1996, but a month later, major portions of the government ceased operations again when the parties were unable to resolve their differences. The second shutdown finally ended with a seven-year, balanced-budget plan that included modest spending cuts and tax increases.
The current shutdown is about more than money. Both sides have dug in their heels regarding the issue of a barrier at our southern border.
Money doesn't seem to be the major issue this time – rather it's what will be done with increased dollars for border security. Wall or no wall.
While politicians verbally duke it out in our nation's capital, each day without an agreement, adds more people to the "I have been affected by the shutdown" list.
Among the obvious victims of the government shutdown are the 350,000 plus government workers who have been furloughed because of it. Many of them may be entitled to workers-compensation benefits to hold them over until they get back to work.
But there are also more than 400,000 victim-heroes – federal government workers who, because of the type of work they do, are required to stay on the job.
To all of those workers, we hope for a quick, amicable solution to the governmental impasse.
In past shutdowns, the government did restore back pay to affected employees. Those who received unemployment compensation during the shutdown must return it when they receive their back pay.
Those who aren't getting a paycheck during this time, well, they probably wish they were getting something today that they could pay back later.
The inconvenience we experience today because of the federal government shutdown pales in comparison to those who work now for (hopefully) pay later.