As the longest government shutdown in United States history stretched on, the nation witnessed a game of chicken between Democrats and Republicans, while President Donald J. Trump and congressional leaders invited the collapse of basic government functions. Regardless of whether the shutdown is truly resolved, the last several weeks revealed serious issues with the way our government functions. This shutdown was a symptom of these problems as much as a cause: our federal agencies and their workers are underfunded, underappreciated and too often used as a political football.
During the shutdown, workers in law enforcement, air traffic control and scientific research faced a month without pay or funding for their agencies. While the costs for those workers were severe, the consequences extend to the entire American population. Absent a reversal in policy, government agencies and the organizations that depend on them for funding could face challenges recruiting talented and qualified employees, which would harm areas including food safety and medical research. Congress and the president should immediately counter the instability of government agencies by passing legislation to eliminate the risk of future shutdowns and ensure federal workers are adequately paid.
Perhaps the largest risk faced by government agencies after a shutdown is that their workers will simply quit. For skilled candidates, jobs in the private sector pay more than those in the public sector and come with the assurance of a stable source of funding and the peace of mind that a political fight won’t lock them out of their office. Government workers, already unhappy due to the pay freeze and frustrated by policies they disagree with politically, may see the shutdown as the final straw. The implications extend beyond government employees, as researchers at universities such as Emory depend on government funding, which was interrupted by the shutdown.
An exodus of workers from the federal government and organizations that rely on federal funding would have serious ripple effects. Private companies have few incentives to invest in basic research to improve general scientific knowledge, putting the U.S. at a serious disadvantage to nations like China, which heavily invest in research. Remaining federal workers will be left with increasingly difficult jobs, especially as effects from the shutdown linger. At the Environmental Protection Agency, for example, only 794 of 13,000 employees remained on the job throughout the shutdown. Tasks such as inspections of power plants and cleanups of toxic Superfund sites were put on hold. Suspensions of essential services across the federal government created dangerous backlogs that will take months to clear.
Fortunately, several proposals face Congress that would alleviate these issues. Bills by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) would automatically fund the federal government at current levels when Congress and the president cannot agree on a budget. While not addressing the root cause of the problem — a dysfunctional government with an inability to compromise — the bill would prevent federal workers from being caught in the crossfire. Another important step for Congress is to undo Trump’s ordered pay freeze for federal workers, a kick in the teeth for the many employees forced to borrow money during the shutdown. These are not end solutions, but are nonetheless necessary to reverse the precipitous decline in federal employee morale under the Trump administration.
Preserving funding for federal agencies and keeping workers on the job will be critical as the U.S. faces challenges, including rising income inequality and climate change. Efforts to study and remedy those issues depend on the federal government and the grants it distributes to researchers. Emory faculty, and by extension its student body, will find themselves at the center of this battle due to their reliance on federal grants and close collaboration with workers at agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This dependence makes it imperative for students and faculty, as well as Emory administrators, to advocate for legislation that fairly compensates federal workers and precludes future shutdowns.
Andrew Kliewer (20C) is from Dallas.
