North Texas Daily

The future of our country, which encompasses the livelihood of 800,000 Americans, is not a bargaining tool, and this is not just another business deal.

The government shutdown may be over, but it’s not long until Trump’s border wall meets its judgment day on Feb. 15.

It will be telling of Trump’s presidency if he decides to go against his previous remarks and declare a national state of emergency in order to completely bypass Congress. This would show that he is above the system of checks and balances.

Trump swore Mexico would pay for this wall and he is now trying to make taxpayers pay for it. There is nothing that will stop him from getting what he wants.

Granted the president does have the authority to declare a national emergency if it is, in fact, an actual emergency. Meant for war and foreign attacks, the term “national emergency” is so subjective, Trump managed to squeeze “Mexican border wall” into it as an excuse to get around the legal process.

If anything, hundreds of TSA agents not showing up for work should have been considered a national emergency. The Food and Drug Administration suspending nearly all of its food inspections, putting people at risk of foodborne illnesses, should have been considered a national emergency.

It’s important to comprehend what we’re really witnessing right now: the most powerful individual in the U.S. has a set agenda, and there is no form of government — not the Senate, the House, nor any bureaucracy — in his way. He’s essentially unstoppable.

This situation doesn’t seem representative of a democracy or even America, for that matter.

If a national emergency is declared, Trump’s own Republican party is set to split down the middle on the issue, according to Politico. Who’s to blame them? The longest government shutdown in U.S. history has caused unforeseeable damages that have the potential to last for years to come.

The Congressional Budget Office released a report that stated our economy suffered an $11 billion loss during the shutdown, of which $3 billion will never be recovered. This is more than twice the amount Trump requested to fund the wall. The report also estimates that the shutdown delayed “$18 billion in federal spending and suspended some federal services, thus lowering the projected level of real GDP in the first quarter of 2019 by $8 billion.”

We’re not only looking at immense economic damages, but national parks such as Joshua Tree National Park could take 300 years to recover from the damages caused during the shutdown. Federal immigration courts have also been affected, as immigration hearings have been postponed for thousands of people, including asylum-seekers who may now have to wait years for a new hearing. The amount of time it will take the IRS to catch up and recover is still unknown, according to its website.

These preventable effects of the shutdown have been sacrificed for one man’s ego. Thousands of lives have been impacted because the division of our government is so unshakable that the whole country is made to suffer. It would only get worse if the government were to shut down again on Feb. 15.

This cafeteria food fight taking place in D.C. isn’t worth the price we all have to pay. Either way, it looks like Trump will be getting his border wall. In fact, early construction has already been spotted according to San Antonio Express-News.

The December 2018 to January 2019 shutdown will be a large factor in defining Trump’s presidency, and I personally don’t think he understands the damage he’s done. How can he feel remorse when all he truly sees are numbers and names on paper?

Mr. President, this shutdown is not something to be proud of.

Featured Illustration: Austin Banzon