NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Talks continue on whether or not the government will shut down in a few short weeks. Amid the conversation is the possible impact it would have on people’s personal lives.
The White House says a shutdown would make it harder for thousands of Tennessee families to get food for their kids.
A lot of families are living paycheck to paycheck and benefits like WIC and food stamps really comes in handy for them to be able to feed themselves and their children.
State representative Gloria Johnson, who is also running for Senate, spoke out about this saying a government shutdown would essentially undermine the economy and deny food assistance to over 133,0000 Tennessee women and children on WIC. That’s only a small fraction of the nearly 7 million women, children and babies who could be affected across the country according to the White House.
The deadline to avert a government shutdown is 18 days away. Goldman Sachs no longer expects a shutdown, but it’s added warnings and risks for early 2024.
There's still a lot to be determined, but the conflict in Israel and other tensions such as the recent U.S. air strikes in Syria could make the Congress less likely to allow a shutdown, which also affects the military. Economists are pointing to the election of House Speaker Mike Johnson also decreasing the chances of a shutdown.
There's still a lot to be determined over the next few weeks.
