As we enter the third week of the American government shutdown — the longest we’ve ever experienced — we are seeing very real consequences. Initiated by the president’s demands for funds to build a wall between Mexico and the United States, the shutdown is no joke.
It’s majorly affected several federal agencies, and lots of people have already seen negative results. Thousands and thousands of workers went without pay — and many live paycheck to paycheck. Congress may be offering some back pay at a later date, but going without payment can pose a real threat to many American families.
And guess what? It’s affecting our kitchen tables, since people are running up against difficulties while buying groceries.
The government shutdown is also affecting our beer consumption — yes, you heard that correctly. Munchies recently reported that new beers aren’t allowed to hit the market. Not the beer! And this doesn’t just affect the drinkers; it affects the breweries.
We know that messing with beer is a big deal — after all, we all need a cold beer after reading the headlines, right? — but that’s not all. Food inspections are taking a hit, leading to “high risk of causing food-borne illnesses,” according to the New York Times.
In fact, the Food and Drug Administration food safety inspectors — who normally do about 160 checks per week at plants and facilities, which have been halted due to the furlough — came back today to focus on high-risk foods (without pay). The FDA actually oversees 80 percent of America’s food supply (almost all of our food) in addition to foods being shipped in.
High-risk foods include soft cheeses, seafood, custard-filled bakery products, some fruits and vegetables, and baby formula, according to the Times. Other lists include leafy greens, tuna, and sprouts. As for foods like raw meat, poultry, and eggs, they are inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Experts say we should keep eating as we normally would and that this is not a public health emergency — for now, according to Vox.
Beyond that, food banks and SNAP assistance — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which accounts for 10 percent of food sales in the U.S. annually — could take a hit. While February SNAP assistance is budgeted for (and paid out early, causing panic that some grocery stores wouldn’t have enough food, according to Politico), who knows how the program might be affected in the future if this shutdown doesn’t end soon.
Though these times are dark, there’s some good news: The shutdown is inspiring people and restaurants to step up and offer discounted or free food.
Grab a tissue: Canadian Air traffic controllers even sent pizza to unpaid American controllers. Amazing.
We thank everyone who is trying to make this rough time easier on the people who are being hit the hardest.
