Metro area locals react to possible government shutdown

ATLANTA — Local members of the Atlanta community shared their reactions early Saturday evening to the down-to-the-wire voting on Capitol Hill to keep the government running. The back and forth between chambers, and political figures, has some wondering if the government would actually shut down.

Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin spoke to business professor Ramnath Chellappa with Emory University’s Goizueta Business School about a possible government shutdown and what that means to the Atlanta area.

Chellappa said a government shutdown could be detrimental to the economy.

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“It could be detrimental because we are going to curtail some training programs they initially would have run,” said Chellalppa. “Essentially, when you create uncertainty in the operational budget of a firm, we’re going to have a problem. Essentially we’re creating uncertainty on an operational budget of the country.”

A government shutdown would keep essential workers like the TSA on board without pay, to be paid once the government opens back up and resumes spending.

Chellappa said there are still so many other entities tied to government funds that a shutdown would have far-reaching implications.

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Chellappa told Channel 2 Action News the budget shutdown could have impacts on immigration to the United States, travel by U.S. citizens going to other countries, and even domestic travel.

“Our embassies that are subjected to the State Department budget, they’re also going to be affected. Visas will be delayed. Passports are going to be delayed, travel will be delayed. And workers who are coming in on visas? They’re going to be affected as well,” said Chellappa.

While the shutdown appears to have been averted, thanks to last-minute votes in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, the 45-day delay they passed doesn’t mean things are over.

Congress still needs to use their now-extended time to agree on a full budget and spending through legislation.

As it stands, the current agreement would delay a shutdown until Nov. 17.

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