The Looming Government Shutdown

As the deadline for October 1st approaches, are we headed towards talk of yet another government shutdown? This article published on September 21, 2013 on NPR's site by Tamara Keith could tell us all about the impending event. In short, the House passed a stopgap bill to ensure that funding would continue until December 15 of this year. The only condition, the bill calls for defundment of the The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act. Anticipating that President Obama will veto the House's proposed stopgap bill, the Senate will refuse to defund one of the most fought over pieces of legislature that has come across the House and Senate. In turn, a looming government shutdown is fast approaching if congressional approval is not met by October 1^st. Should we be worried about this? The answer is absolutely. The last time a government shutdown occurred was in 1996. During that time, federal employers were furloughed and essential employees went without a paycheck. The Congressional Research Service later reported that the shutdown hit the tax payer with a $1.4 billion fee. So, if the funding or defunding of The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act does not adversely affect yourself, you might notice a slight decrease in your tax refund or pay check if Congress does not take action.