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Dark situation: US shutdown hits Bavaria – food banks at the limit!
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the focus of the US shutdown: effects on local food banks and US soldiers in Bavaria.
Dark situation: US shutdown hits Bavaria – food banks at the limit!
A financial state of emergency is shaking the USA: There has been a shutdown for over 38 days, and the country is in the longest standstill in its history. The dispute over the expiry of Corona health aid at the end of the year has further fueled the situation. The effects are not only serious for the American population, but also noticeable for many citizens in Germany.
About 670,000 U.S. government employees are currently on forced leave, while about 730,000 are working without pay. This situation is leading to significant financial constraints and there is no quick end in sight. As ZDF reports, concerns about financial resources are growing everywhere, as many are dependent on food aid and waiting times are increasing.
Impact in Germany
The food banks in Germany, especially in Bavaria, are clearly feeling the consequences of the shutdown. The US Army has even recommended that its employees in Bavaria use the Tafel offerings, but this has led to confusion. On the U.S. website Army Garrison Bavaria there was a list of aid organizations that mentioned “Tafel Deutschland”. But the head of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen food bank, Jochem Rollar, made it clear that despite this recommendation, no US soldiers were found handing out the goods.
The situation is complicated by limited availability of goods. Rollar emphasizes that the food bank relies on donations and always has to worry about being able to provide enough help. In a misleading communication, the US Army stated that the list was actually intended only for civilian forces. However, around 30,000 US soldiers in Germany have the opportunity to rely on existing aid programs, while civilian employees are severely affected. The German “Payroll Office for Foreign Armed Forces” has pre-financed the October salaries, but repayment from the US side is still pending. The US Treasury Secretary has warned several times that salaries will no longer be paid from November 15th.
Politics at a standstill
Meanwhile, the political debate in the USA is not making any progress. President Trump has called on Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to end the shutdown. In a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Trump said that eliminating the filibuster was the right path for Republicans. However, leading Senate Republicans reject Trump's proposal, arguing that there are not enough votes to remove this hurdle. Trump called that rejection a big mistake and suggested that Republicans may not be charting the right course for the upcoming election.
The difficulties in Parliament are profound. A compromise between Republicans and Democrats is currently pending, although both parties blame each other for the blockage. The inability to reach agreement on the new federal budget has resulted in countless citizens suffering the consequences. As CBS News and [Tagesschau](https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/ Amerika/shutdown-usa-126.html) report, many proposals that were supposed to enable the country to open up have so far failed due to the disagreement between politicians.
An end to the shutdown remains uncertain for the time being, and the population is concerned about the ongoing consequences. It remains to be seen whether voters will see the political stalemate in the next elections as the cause of their economic woes. In this time of crisis, solidarity among people is more important than ever.