Inserts:

00:03 Report / Benjamin Alvarez Gruber
00:19 AJ / Street vendor
01:03 Galen Wheless / Senior Veterans Service Representative 

Script:

(empty National Mall, no tourists)

One of the highlights for many tourists visiting the U.S. capital – closed.

The Smithsonian museums, largely funded by the federal government, are temporarily closed due to the government shutdown – impacting not only frustrated visitors.

+++ AJ, street vendor +++

“When the museums shut down, that means nobody walks around here. The museum is the only way that we have business here. “

(Broll ice truck) For AJ, who has been selling ice cream here for four years, there’s an additional problem.

+++ AJ, street vendor +++

“We are not allowed to move, we have a spot here by the National Park Service and we have no choice, and we stay here only.”

(pictures Capitol) The government shutdown began on October 1, when the U.S. Congress failed to agree on the release of new budget funds – affecting many government institutions.

(Broll VA building) Like the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The agency, which oversees health care and other benefits for veterans, is not operating as usual.

+++ Galen Wheless, Senior Veterans Service Representative +++ St. Petersburg, Florida

(04:20) “Many of my peers are working without expectation of a paycheck, it is paycheck week should be paycheck Friday but as of right now it’s not going to be

paycheck Friday. It is hard to really bring your whole self to work and really focus on your job when you have a family at home or you have people that you care for.”

Galen, who leads a local chapter of a federal employee union, is also frustrated by the fact that those who could reopen the government still get paid.

+++ Galen Wheless, Senior Veterans Service Representative +++ St. Petersburg, Florida

(06:55) “When first line employees are asked to work without a guaranteed paycheck and yet members of congress are working with a paycheck, it is just basic fairness. It’s hard to wrap our head around.”

(double picture- left side Democrats during Capitol presser, right side Republicans during presser. I will get two pictures from Berlin, please animate)

But with the blame game between Democrats and republicans in full swing on Capitol Hill, at least for now, there seems to be no end to the government shutdown in sight