Georgia lawmakers respond to government shutdown

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -Congress ushered in the first government shutdown in more than 6 years at midnight.

But what does that mean for you and the communities around us?

Right now, there’s no end in sight for this shutdown. As many as 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed.

Here locally, Winn Army Community Hospital which serves the Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield community says that while Military pharmacies will remain open, operations may be reduced and wait times may be longer than normal.

Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield posted to social media that due to funding constraints, all communications on Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield digital platforms are temporarily suspended.

Essential workers like air traffic controllers and those working in defense will continue to go into work without getting paid.

Local lawmakers are in disagreement about this shutdown.

“We want to make sure that there are no Social Security checks that are missed. We want to make sure that veterans get their benefits. All of that’s important to us, but evidently, it’s not important to Chuck Schumer and John Ossoff and the Democrats because they want to close the government down,” Rep. Buddy Carter said.

Georgia Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock took to social media to respond to the shutdown news.

“I cannot and will not support a budget that allows for catastrophic cuts to healthcare, and that’s what the senate republican budget does. And I will be voting no on that budget,” Warnock said.

A vote to end the government shutdown failed earlier today.

Democrats in the Senate including Georgia Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock firmly held the party’s demands to fund health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to provide.