Jamestown, Colorado, after the flood.
The government shutdown that may be coming at midnight on Monday could
slow federal disaster relief for the massive damage caused by the recent Colorado floods. Already, the start of planned relief work by the Utah National Guard is being delayed:
“Because of the uncertainty of budget constraints and a possible government shutdown, the 1457th [Engineer Battalion] will transport vehicles and equipment to work sites and then return to Utah. Once funding issues have been resolved, which is anticipated to be the first week of October, approximately 120 soldiers of the 1457th will return to Colorado to complete their mission,” the Utah National Guard said in a statement released late Tuesday.
Additionally, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund won't be (immediately) affected by a shutdown,
... that doesn’t mean at least some employees at FEMA and other federal agencies involved in the response, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Highway Administration and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, won’t be furloughed. Federal workers involved in appraising, assessing and approving loans would all likely be considered non-essential personnel, which could delay rebuilding funds, at least temporarily.
Colorado also faces the challenge of a $100 million cap for emergency highway repair, with 200 miles of highway and 50 bridges in need of repair. Congress would need to lift that cap—and right now we have a dysfunctional Congress in which Republicans are deciding whether they prefer shutdown threats or default threats, not focusing on legislation to deal with major disasters.
Stand with Daily Kos and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in denouncing Republicans who would completely shut down the government just to destroy Obamacare.