On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the United States entered a government shutdown — meaning all governmental services and workers deemed non-essential will be permitted to not operate. “Essential workers and services” include people such as the police and firefighters. The shutdown comes as a result of the inability of Democrats and Republicans to agree on a budget.
With B-CC’s close proximity to Washington D.C., many students and staff members in the community have family or friends working in the government. This shutdown has had various effects on the community, as many different people have unique jobs and roles.
Junior Henry Bergeron’s father works in the government. He has been deemed an “essential worker” for the government. “It doesn’t really affect my family, because my dad is essential personnel and he still gets paid.” However, Bergeron touches on how the shutdown affects others, even those within the same companies. “It affects everyone working for him because they don’t get paid anymore, and a lot of people working for them don’t come to work anymore.”
Thursday, October 9, 2025, marks the eighth day of the shutdown — the eighth day without pay for non-essential government workers. Bergeron explains the significance of the shutdown on the country, saying: “[The shutdown] affects a lot of people, and it’s really bad for our economy and it’s bad for our country.”
