Governing through the federal shutdown

It was a very frustrating couple of weeks as we all watched our federal government’s dysfunction boil over into a nationwide shutdown. While Congress and the White House bickered and postured in Washington, here in Idaho we were doing what we could to manage through a shutdown that affected many thousands of Idahoans.

Meanwhile, our state agencies were working behind the scenes to determine if state or even private sources would be allowed to pay some of the federal workers needed to ensure our economy could keep moving. That effort proved almost as challenging.

In northern Idaho, the transfers of and payments for newly manufactured airplanes were held up because FAA inspectors needed to certify those aircraft were furloughed.

Important timber sales and salvage timber operations to recover some of the trees burned in this summer’s devastating wildfires were delayed just as winter weather is starting to set in.

In eastern Idaho, cleanup work at the Idaho National Laboratory was threatened. And it’s all poised to happen again early next year.

I’m heading to Washington Tuesday, Oct. 22 to speak directly with Cabinet members about the avoiding a repeat performance and preparing for more federal government instability and uncertainty ahead.