The Capital Hill Briefing column offers a simple bipartisan view on today's current political issues. If you have questions, comments, or topics suggestions, please see me Matthew Nawn or contact him at mxn220@hanoverpublic.org.

Capital Hill Briefing: Article Three

Column by Matthew E. Nawn

Introduction

As the nation struggles through the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, The Capital Hill Briefing has deemed it necessary to conduct an interview with one of those most affected by this shutdown, a government employee. The employee will remain anonymous as will the department he works for due to privacy reasons. The government employee will be regarded as “Sir” during the interview.

The Interview

C.H.B.: Thank you for sitting down with the Orange and Black to conduct this brief interview, we respect your privacy and time. We have a few questions we would like to ask you. Are you the main provider of income for your family, and what are the effects the government shutdown has on the family finances?

Sir: Yes, I am the primary provider of income for my family. The effects the shutdown has had are as follows: we have had to eliminate virtually all discretionary spending, for example, going out to eat, buying clothing, entertainment. Financial effects include investment limitations and using savings accounts.

C.H.B.: Thank you for sharing that. Do you think you will get back pay after the shutdown has concluded?

Sir: I believe so. If the shutdown continues, I worry about if I will be reimbursed fully or partially. In 2013, due to financial shortfalls caused by sequestration, the Department of the Army lacked sufficient funds to pay some of its civilian employees. I was furloughed during this period for eleven days and never received back pay.

C.H.B.: Can you and other furloughed government employees find temporary work to assist finances?

Sir: With significant limitations, yes. Some agencies require their employees to receive legal guidance prior to performing outside work. This can be impossible if the respective legal counsel is also furloughed. Additionally, many employees have a significant conflict of interest limitations. This is further complicated by the requirement in most states that individuals pursuing unemployment are required to seek work.

C.H.B.: If this shutdown continues long enough would you consider leaving the government for private sectors?

Sir: Yes. My desire is to remain in government service. That is all I can say on that.

C.H.B.: With the aging government employee workforce, do you think this shutdown attracts young people towards government service as a career option? Do you think employing young people as civil servants is crucial for the future of our nation?

Sir: I believe the shutdown has a detrimental effect on the government's ability to recruit the next generation of employees. It is most critical for the government to be able to attract, hire, and retain young talent to a government career.

C.H.B.: How do you feel the furlough of federal employees affect the general public as a whole?

Sir: It impacts the general public in a number of ways. A few examples include the efficiency of ongoing investigations, food and agriculture safety, government-backed loans, transportation infrastructure funding, social welfare programs, and tax collection in negative ways. Furthermore, it means federal law enforcement officers are working without pay.

C.H.B.: The President has used government employees as poker chips during this shutdown, calling them names like liberals and political opponents. How do you feel about this?

Sir: I feel it is a disservice to a workforce that has taken an oath to put public service over private gain. I am also troubled by statements such as these considering that I am a veteran along with a significant number of my colleagues. I believe that is all I can really say about that. It saddens me.

C.H.B.: Do you think more government shutdowns are likely in the future, regardless of the Presidency, and if so, does this concern you?

Sir: I hope this shutdown serves as an example of what not to do. In the future, I hope shutdowns will not be used as a negotiating tactic. However, until the current level of partisanship is reduced, I fear the current situation will repeat itself.

C.H.B.: Thank you for your time and answering what questions you could to the fullest of your ability.

Final Word

Regardless of your opinions on this partial government shutdown, government employees, and the President we must respect one another's opinions. The simple solution to voicing your political opinion is to vote in the next election and stand up for what you believe in. Your vote counts and can change the course of politics. Until the election occurs work towards bipartisanship and unity. We are the United States of America. Respect others and work towards the political future you want for tomorrow.

-Matthew E. Nawn

Note from the Columnist:

I am Matthew E. Nawn, the political analyst for the Orange and Black. I do my best to provide a bipartisan view on politics while making politics simple and most of all, brief. If you have questions, comments, or topics you want me to write about in my political column, “The Capitol Hill Briefing”, please see me in person or contact me at mxn220@hanoverpublic.org.

Capital Hill Briefing: Article Two

Column by Matthew E. Nawn

Introduction

As the recent government shutdown appears to be going nowhere fast, here is the information you need to know to stay informed.

Length

The government will most likely be shut down through 3 January 2019 when a new Congress takes over. The first week after this change of government and the power of Congress’ coveted purse will be mostly administrative and clerical work supporting the new Congress.

From there, being that Congress controls the purse, the deliberations will continue to decide how much allocation should be given to President Trump’s infamous campaign promise - a border wall. Even if Congress were to pass a resolution, President Trump can veto it, and send Congress scrambling for another solution.

Congress does not have to stop there. Congress could override this veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses. It is most likely that an overriding of the veto would not rally enough members to override the President. If this were to fail, a filibuster could be brought up by the Senate and simply require a majority vote to override the President. A filibuster could be likely in the future being that the 116 Congress will have a Republican Senate. Many Republicans are still hesitant about a border wall. Neither a filibuster nor an overriding of President Trump seems likely in the near future. Congress and the President will have to fight this battle until one side reduces their needs or until one gives into the needs of the other. Both of these happenings seem unlikely, however. Neither side is willing to relent so the battle will continue to be fought.

This battle could last indefinitely, meaning that no political analyst has a clear idea of when the government shutdown will end. Most political analysts agree that the shutdown will end after the Dr. King holiday but before Valentine’s Day.

Who’s Paying?

Mamy thought Mexico was. Mexico is not going to fund our border wall, and that is why the government has shut down and will continue to remain shut down.

President Trump now realizes that Mexico is not going to pay for a border wall. Who will be paying for it? The American people. President Trump is demanding $5 billion from Congress. Congress has passed resolutions for both $1.2 and $1.6 billion, but the President has remained persistent for his $5 billion for a wall.

President Trump has a fund allocated for border security but has used only 10 percent of that fund to date. This is why Congress is up in arms over President Trump’s demand for more money. This causes a standstill about how much money should be allocated towards border security on the national budget. When a budget is not passed on time the government shuts down because money cannot be allocated towards any government agency without an approved budget.

No matter what happens on Capitol Hill, we are all paying for a border wall. Our taxes pay for everything in the budget including a wall if it were passed. We also pay for the salaries of the Congressmen and the President while they debate and argue the issue of border We are paying for a wall whether it exists or not. During his campaign, President Trump was all about keeping campaign promises. One of those promises was Mexico paying for the wall. Mexico is not paying. We are.

Crippling Effects

Money, money, money. This uncertainty in government has caused stocks to fall and investments to crash. December 2018 was the worst December for Wall Street since 1931 during the Great Depression. The New York Stock Exchange is so dependent upon the U.S. Census Bureau and the Treasury Department’s information on finances that when both these agencies shut down and cannot provide financial reports, uncertainty follows. The Stock Market’s enemy is uncertainty which is why the value of stocks, mutual funds, and such decline when the government is shut down.

It is important to note that nine government agencies are currently shut down. This causes nearly 1 million government workers to be furloughed or forced to work without pay. Many of these civil servants have bills and mortgages due and are scraping pennies to pay them. Some members of Congress have repeatedly given the advice of “that’s your problem” to these employees. Additionally, the President has mocked government employees who are not getting paid. Government employees can seek work provided that the work is not with a company that works under a government contract. As long as the shutdown continues the employees will continue life without pay.

The government shutdown is causing great economic strain on states as well. With national parks closed and government subsidies suspended, many municipalities are paying local citizens to keep the municipality functioning and ensuring cash can continue to flow in from tourists and others sources of revenue. The national parks, for example, bolster tourism and an increase in revenue for both the state and the local municipalities, especially during the current holiday season. States and municipalities are scrambling to find a solution to their economic strife by paying citizens to maintain these valuable assets such as national parks and public transportation.

All these factors are crippling our nation, states, and local municipalities. These hardships will continue until Congress and the President reach an agreement and a budget is passed. The states and municipalities funding national assets are most likely not going to be reimbursed when the government opens. It is unknown if reimbursement will be provided to the affected government employees when the shutdown concludes.

Final Word

Whether you love or hate President Trump he is our President and we must respect him. The simple solution to voicing your political opinion regarding President Trump is to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election. Your vote counts and can change the course of politics. Until the election occurs in two years, work towards bipartisanship and unity. We are the United States of America. Respect the commander-in-chief and work towards the political future you want for tomorrow.

-Matthew E. Nawn

Note from the Columnist:

I am Matthew E. Nawn, the political analyst for the Orange and Black. I do my best to provide a bipartisan view on politics while making politics simple and most of all, brief. If you have questions, comments, or topics you want me to write about in my political column, “The Capitol Hill Briefing”, please see me in person or contact me at mxn220@hanoverpublic.org.

Capital Hill Briefing: Article One

Column by Matthew E. Nawn

Introduction

In recent times, as the Muller Investigation is due to consummate soon if any credibility is to be maintained, a select group of voices has asked the question of what would it take to impeach President Trump. The Constitution explains how impeachment of a civic official, such as the President, must happen.

The Impeachment Procedures

The procedure for impeachment of any civic official is found in Article II, Section IV of the Constitution. The civic official must be convicted of “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. These charges are brought against any civic official by any member of the House of Representatives. If any of this occurs, the House of Representatives must vote on impeachment. For the convicted civil official to be impeached a majority vote in favor of the conviction(s) is necessary. Only two Presidents have been impeached - Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. The civic official may be impeached but this does not mean the official is removed from office.

For a civic official to be removed from office after impeachment requires approval from the Senate. The Senate will compile evidence and listen to both sides of the case. After doing so, the Senate votes whether or not to convict a civic official. If the Senate can rally two-thirds of the vote or thirty-four votes the President is removed from office. It is important to note this has never happened in the United States political history. Both Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were acquitted of their charges by the Senate and were never removed from office.

If a civic official was to be removed from office they then could face criminal charges regarding their time prior, during, or after their tenure in their civic office. This additionally, has never happened in the political history of the United States. Could President Trump be the first civic official to be impeached, removed from office, and charged criminally?

Will Any of This Happen to President Trump?

The simple answer is no. I do not think President Trump will be charged criminally, let alone have the Articles of Impeachment read.

While any member of the House of Representatives can press charges on the President there are no current charges that have much significance with the American public. It will also be extremely difficult to rally a majority vote in the House of Representatives to impeach President Trump. The House of Representatives has a marginal lean to the left, but most Democrats see no reason to convict President Trump and understand the devastating effects impeaching President Trump could have. It is important to note President Trump has about a fifty percent approval rating at the current time; this would make it even harder to impeach a President even with a blue House of Representatives. Concerning these reasons, the impeachment of President Trump seems most unlikely, let alone criminal prosecution.

Crippling Effects

Impeaching President Trump would cripple the nation and expose weakness. The first casualty of impeachment would be the stock market which is ever so dependent upon political stability. After all, the most powerful man on Capitol Hill is the dictating Benjamin Franklin. Not only would a drastic drop in the market occur but our political realms would become insecure. The nation would fall into a political turmoil and expose our weakness to foreign powers seeking an edge on the United States. Countries such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran would have a front row seat to a political division in today’s current drift away from bipartisanship towards partisan politics. These nations would acknowledge the opportunity to inflict a non-lethal, but menacing and playful blow to the nation. Impeachment is not an appropriate solution to a problem that will be over in as soon as two years.

Solution

Whether you love or hate President Trump it is highly unlikely he is going to be impeached. The simple solution to removing President Trump from office or keeping him in office is to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election. Your vote counts and can change the course of politics. Until the election occurs in two years, work towards bipartisanship and unity. We are the United States of America. Respect the commander-in-chief and work towards the political future you want for tomorrow.

-Matthew E. Nawn

Note from the Columnist:

I am Matthew E. Nawn, the political analyst for the Orange and Black. I do my best to provide a bipartisan view on politics while making politics simple and most of all, brief. If you have questions, comments, or topics you want me to write about in my political column, “The Capitol Hill Briefing”, please see me in person or contact me at mxn220@hanoverpublic.org.