I purposefully haven’t written anything about the government shutdown because it’s too insane and inflammatory a topic for me to take on. But today I read a story about one of the very real effects of politicians playing havoc with our lives for their gain.
What the House Republicans have done is unconscionable to me. (If you disagree with that statement, just quit reading now because it’s only going to get worse for you). I hope they all get tossed out in the next election. Why people continue to vote for politicians that support policies that are harmful to them baffles me. And the fact that Congress continues to get paid for not doing their job (or doing it horribly) while 800,000 government employees who are actually doing their jobs aren’t is wrong.
The Wall Street Journal, which is usually a bastion of conservatorship, ran a piece today about how from the first day of the shutdown, patients seeking treatment at the National Institutes of Health are going untreated. That includes children with cancer waiting to get into cancer clinical protocols that could save their lives. Any patient already in treatment at the Clinical Center will continue to receive care, but the 200 adults and children who begin to receive treatment each week will be denied. For many of them, the Clinical Center is their only option.
Additionally, the NIH has furloughed more than 14,500 employees, some of whom were working on these clinical trials, which means they will be behind in their research even when the shutdown ends. An NIH spokesman told ABC that four new clinical trials are slated to start next week, but won’t if the government isn’t back up and working.
I don’t know how the politicians behind this shut down are sleeping at night. There are plenty of people who aren’t right now as they worry how they’re going to pay their bills while furloughed, how they’re going to get medical treatment they need.
Today’s $10 goes to The National Children’s Cancer Society, which serves as a resource for families with children diagnosed with cancer by providing financial, emotional and educational support. According to its website, NCCS has helped more than 33,000 children through its network of more than 300 hospitals.
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