What Obama Has to Do to End the GOP Shutdown

What Obama Has to Do to End the GOP Shutdown

And put an end to Republicans’ hostage-taking once and for all.

Editorial

October 9, 2013   |    This article appeared in the October 28, 2013 edition of The Nation.

The shutdown of the government is a crisis for Americans, who rely not just on the services provided by the affected agencies but on the efficiency of their delivery. When 800,000 federal employees are furloughed, it is not just the immediate damage that is of consequence; over time, the whole system begins to fray and weaken. While those furloughed employees will eventually be paid, the abrupt cutoff in pay has a ripple effect in the broader community. At a time when America’s economic recovery is at best uneven, the financial uncertainties brought about by the shutdown have idled not just large federal contractors but small businesses on Main Street.

The United States has much to gain from improved relations and little to lose from easing sanctions.
http://www.thenation.com/article/176576/what-obama-has-do-end-gop-shutdown