At this point, a government shutdown seems all but inevitable. If the government does shutdown, it will mean that our federal government has officially run out of money.

Regardless if it does or not, here are 7 ways “We the People” could be affected by a government shutdown:

1. Taxes
   • Naturally, we would still have to pay our taxes.
2. Mail
   • Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, we may stop receiving our mail.
3. Loans
   • That house that some of us have been saving up for, if we were planning on applying for a government-backed mortgage to make it happen, we’ll have to put those plans on hold.
4. Guns
   • If any of us were thinking about getting a license and becoming a gun owner, we’d best get our twiddling thumbs ready because we’re going to be waiting a long time.
5. Jobs
   • Most of us that are federal government employees will be forced to take unpaid leave from our jobs. Others will be forced to work on federal IOU’s until a new funding bill can be drafted, approved, and signed by the President.
6. Tourism
   • Our national parks, museums, and monuments will shut their doors to the public, which will prevent our government from generating the money it needs to keep the lights on.
7. Social Security
   • New memberships for this and other entitlement programs, such as Medicare, will be put on hold.

Believe it or not, our government has been through a shutdown before; the United States federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996 happened during Bill Clinton’s first term as President of the United States.

We survived as a nation, but our economy suffered, as it cost the government $3.7 billion. This time around, if we don’t demand a speedy resolution from our government, it could end up costing our government much more than before.

On the other hand, some of our elected officials in Washington D.C. argue that a government shutdown could actually save our government money, preventing government dollars from being wasted on unnecessary government programs.

We at Follow My Vote don’t have an opinion on this issue or any other political issue for that matter, as we are and will forever remain a nonpartisan organization. However, we do think it’s high time that “We the People” decide on which government programs should be considered necessary or unnecessary.

One thing we do know for sure is that we will always have a need for some level of government in the United States and abroad in order to keep the peace, which is why we’re here.

If you want to be considered part of “We the People” please register for our site and join us in our quest to ensure our elected officials in Washington D.C. stop playing political games and start working for us!