Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

 

Day 20 of the hostage situation.

According to Merriam-Webster, a hostage is “one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence.” I’m pretty sure as Americans there are a lot of us who feel like the government is holding us hostage.

This shutdown does not affect the people responsible for creating it. It’s like watching a toddler throw a tantrum. My 3-year-old is angry and confused and instead of taking a timeout she shoves bologna into my DVD player. The president was quoted as saying he’d be “proud” if the government shut down because they wouldn’t give him $5 billion to build a wall. Yup, don’t give me what I want, I will hold the American people hostage. That’s exactly what’s happening.

My husband is one of the 400,000 or so federal employees who are required to work yet the government is not required to pay. His job is deemed “essential.” So we are considered fortunate. Right? Working without getting paid, that’s somehow a blessing. Pretty sure last time I checked, that’s how slavery worked.

How long could your family go without being paid? Think about it. What if your paycheck was a week late, would you be OK? How about if you had to miss two weeks. I was at the pharmacy yesterday and it seemed that most of the people in line could go no more than a few days without their monthly checks.

I read an article the other day that talked about all these brave Congress people who were so honorable by donating or declining their most recent paychecks. Whoa, wait! The payroll department for Congress is deemed “essential” but not the payroll department for people like my husband?

My husband is actually doing his job. He is doing exactly what he’s being hired to do, and has been doing so for years. He is getting punished. Our entire family is getting punished, because people in Washington aren’t doing their jobs.

Congress people get paid extremely well for these jobs that they aren’t doing, might I add. If you didn’t know, the average congressmen makes $174,000 — and there are 529 of them. That’s $92,046,000 a year — $92 million a year. I hope that number fires you up a little. I hope that makes you a little angry. I don’t care if the president or Congress donates their paychecks. This is not considered a sacrifice.

The median household income in the U.S. is just under $60,000. That means one member of Congress makes three times as much as the average American household. Not to mention their insurance, pensions… Most of the people I know are having some kind of problem with their insurance. Coverage has changed, premiums have risen. They can hardly afford it. Pensions pretty much don’t exist anymore. Well, except for in Washington.

We, and I say we because we voted for these chuckleheads — we have helped to create a government of elite out-of-touch individuals. I know there are a few representatives who are trying their best. I understand that not everyone in Washington is corrupt. But right now, it’s day 20 of the hostage situation and I’m getting a little irritated.

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams.