Look. I sympathize with grieving families who are unable to get the death benefit for their deceased service member.
I agree completely with Paul Rieckhoff's sentiments:
"It's a disgrace," said Paul Rieckhoff of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "The fact that those families have to deal with this now is just sad and shocking."
I'm quite certain that Mr. Rieckhoff speaks eloquently on behalf of Veteran's issues, as he should. I am further comfortable that that is where he
should focus his attention.
But I don't only sympathize with grieving families of veterans, and I don't see why their plight and tragedy should be considered more important than the suffering of millions of other Americans during the Republican siege of the US Federal Government (aka, "The Shutdown").
More over the fold.
I sympathize with the mother who relies on WIC to provide adequate nutrition for her children. She is now at the mercy of the state in which she lives - and many states do not have the budget to continue this vital assistance.
I sympathize with anyone who has filed for Social Security Disability and is awaiting a hearing to receive these benefits. While hearings scheduled before the shutdown will be held, no new hearings will be scheduled during the shutdown (Source, P. 4). Let's be clear hear: Like the Veteran's Administration's benefits system, Social Security has a long backlog of pending cases to hear. Not scheduling during the shutdown pushes out a Claimant's hearing - and therefore, receipt of vitally necessary benefits - for as long as the shutdown persists.
I sympathize with the living veterans who have been waiting for their benefits to be processed. During the shutdown, both staffing and continued development of the streamlined IT management system for benefits claims are affected. In the case of staffing, claims processors were using mandatory overtime funds to try to deal with the backlog. On the IT systems side, all development to improve time periods from application to receipt of benefits has stopped.
I sympathize with the countless people who have been working to apply for a Small Business Administration loan. Think about it - if your livelihood is tied to the launch or the continued operations of your small business, you are dead in the water right now, shrouded in uncertainty.
I sympathize with the fishermen who can't get permits during peak season for their fishing targets (in this case, crabs) because of the shutdown. Those who run independent, small operations could be "financially swamp[ed]" as the shutdown persists and they can't get the permits they need to earn their living. Many of these fishermen rely on peak season to secure themselves financially for the entire year.
On a much more personal level, I sympathize with one of my friends. She has been furloughed. She's a 50-something career Federal employee, as is her husband. They are the classic sandwich generation. They are supporting her elderly mother financially, while also putting two kids through college. They have some savings, but not enough not to get into trouble as this persists.
I sympathize with the purveyors of one of our favorite restaurants, an Afghani establishment here in No. VA. A great deal of their day-to-day traffic, Monday through Friday, comes from the Federal offices within walking distance of their establishment. One of the bigger ones houses a large operation of the Department of the Interior which is wholly shuttered and shut down. The restaurant is definitely feeling the pinch, as they told my husband last night.
I sympathize with myself as well, frankly - because my income is directly tied to a Federal program that I support which is not "essential". The program is on hold due to the shutdown - which means that the revenue on which my income is based is also suspended. I count my blessings every day that I can withstand that - but the fact remains that this is revenue I'll never recoup. And for what?
The examples I provided above don't even scratch the surface - there are countless more instances where this ridiculous shutdown (because Obamacare Benghazi) is giving very real harm to Americans.
My points is this: yes, the lack of the death benefit to family members grieving the loss of a loved one is tragic. But so are all the other countless cases that affect Americans in very real ways. To these Americans that rely on normal Governmental function to put food on the table, pay the mortgage, keep their business afloat, and basically survive, their benefits and programs are as important to them as a death benefit is to the family of a fallen soldier.
The House may vote today to restore the death benefit. I don't think Democrats should support this vote in the House or in the Senate. It's cherry picking who hurts more when millions of Americans are hurting equally as badly in their own way.
This is not in ANY WAY intended to denigrate the suffering of a military family who has suffered a loss. Rather, it's intended to elevate the suffering of everyone else.
So I say NO. No to cherry picking whose suffering is more important, No to allowing the hostage takers to make unreasonable demands and be rewarded by easing the pressure, No to giving cover to the insanity the Republican Party is perpetrating on the American people - ALL Americans, not just those in the military. No, no, no!!
Please take a moment to contact your Representative and Senators. Tell them to stand against carve-out funding and/or mini-CRs for specific groups of people. Tell them to stand for ALL the people and end the shutdown for EVERY American. Tell them - #JustVote.
[UPDATE] I've decided I have a few more "NOs" to add.
NO to a short-term extension of either the budget OR the debt ceiling. NO to continuing the uncertainty that these weeks-long "deals" creates - for individuals and businesses.
And a BIG NO to capitulating to allow the debt ceiling to be raised. If these Republican Teahadists want to crash the world economy, let them do it. I don't say that without an acute awareness of the pain that this will create. Because if the debt ceiling is not raised and we exceed it without the ability to pay all of our obligations, the government is going to re-organize what it pays in order of priority. I'll make a bet that any such re-prioritization will put interest payments at the top of the list - leaving other benefits (Social Security, Medicare etc.) down that list.
I am working with an 85-year old legally blind woman who lives in low-cost senior housing near to where I live. I got involved with her because her beloved cat - and only consistent living contact - came down with diabetes. Unable to treat him effectively in her home (she can't treat because she can't test or see to administer insulin), we have sent him to a "kitty rehabber" who is treating his diabetes in an effort to get him fully diet-controlled (non-insulin dependent) so he can be returned to her. In the interim, I have given her a "loaner cat" to foster. My fear was that she would become quickly depressed at the absence of her beloved Tucker, so very sweet Vivi, a senior cat in a Seniors-for-Seniors adoption program is living with her. I have to check in on Vivi's welfare - and obviously, I check on her (the senior's) welfare as well. She is absolutely dependent on her Social Security checks to eat and pay her rent. Disruption in receipt of those benefits would be catastrophic for her, and I've already discussed with Mr. RenaRF how we will step in to fill the financial gap should that occur.
I'm dismayed to find myself of the opinion that we should allow the Republicans to fail to raise the debt limit. But the truth I've come to embrace is this: Only when people really feel the pain will they totally understand the dangerous impact Republicans - and specifically the Tea Party - is having on them. I feel that it's finally time to break their political backs - because if they don't crash it this time, they're going to crash it - either another time all at once, or over time with their horrendously ignorant approach to "governing".
No. Pass the budget. Raise the debt ceiling - long term. Stop holding us all hostage. And we hostages should stop allowing it.
[UPDATE x2] Well this is disappointing. Not only did the vote to reinstate the death benefit pass the House - it passed unanimously. So much for not picking and choosing.
For those of you who have disagreed with the diary's premise in the comments, I say this - I have largely respected your tone and approach in disagreement. I appreciate that. In the comments that have disagreed, one theme seems to rise up in the commenter's reasoning: That missing the ability to meet the military plane in Dover amounts to mising a once-in-a-lifetime chance and for that reason, the military death benefit should be reinstated even if by a piecemeal approval.
To that I would say this: Lots of people are missing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in this shutdown. I am dismayed by the attitude that somehow, because everyone assumes the budget issues will be resolved eventually, the harm to ALL affected is not lasting and monumental. If I was able to take a virtual show of hands of how many out here at Daily Kos could not withstand a week or two weeks or three weeks without pay without losing something vital - food, shelter, whatever - I'm quite certain the result would be shocking.
I would draw your attention to Meteor Blades' excellent diary currently on the reclist. He outlines - and expertly sources - some detailed examples of how the shutdown is affecting people in very real, very injurious ways. I reassert my opinion: you can't and shouldn't cherry pick "worthiness". That's what Republicans do. And I'm fully aware that my point is probably moot. But that doesn't make it any less relevant.