US Government Shutdown Outrages Caribbean-American Legislator

NEW YORK, New York CMC – A Caribbean American legislator Tuesday expressed outrage over the first shutdown of the United States government in 17 years.

“I am appalled that extremist, tea-party Republican politicians in Washington, D.C. are preparing to shut down the federal government and cause further economic damage to this nation,” Grenadian American New York City Councilman, Jumaane Williams, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

“By trying to force the Obama administration to repeal the Affordable Care Act, at a time when the residents of the 45th council district continue racking up unaffordable healthcare bills, tea-party Republicans in Washington are proving that they will do anything to cause the Obama administration to fail,” said Williams, who represents the predominantly Caribbean 45th Council District in Brooklyn.

“As with any new major initiative, I recognize that the Affordable Care Act would benefit from some modifications. That doesn’t mean that we throw out the baby with the bathwater, by upending the entire federal government.”

Williams said that instead of voting for the 43rd time to repeal/delay the Affordable Care Act, which prevents discrimination based on pre-existing conditions and allows young people to stay on their parents’ health insurance, and prevents insurance companies from dropping clients just when they get sick , the Republicans should focus on creating jobs for the people of New York and this nation.

“Any modifications needed pale in comparison to the damage that could result if the tea-party extremists in Congress get their way,” he said.

President Barack Obama said the shutdown was “entirely preventable” and would “throw a wrench into the gears” of the country’s recovering economy.
The Monday midnight deadline passed without agreement between the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democrat-run Senate.

The shutdown would keep 800,000 federal workers at home on Tuesday and inconvenience millions of people who rely on federal services or are drawn to the nation’s parks and other attractions.

Critical workers, from the Border Patrol to air-traffic controllers, would remain on the job, unpaid, officials said.

Legislation was passed, however, to fund the armed services during the shutdown.

Despite the drama, members of Congress faced no threat to their own pay, because the 27th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits their salaries from being subjected to the annual appropriations process. President Obama, too, would still be paid.