can someone explain this god damn american government thing i keep hearing about it wtf
the ministry has fallen. scrimgeour is dead. they are coming
Sadly, no. More like Lucius Malfoy is throwing a hissyfit about the fact that Muggleborn might be let into St. Mungo’s. Not that he goes to St. Mungo’s. He has a personal physician, doncha know.
this.
The short version: Congress’s bickering over a budget ran past the date where they were supposed to have one turned in, and until they sort it out, any government agencies that aren’t sitting on a cushion of surplus from last year (or have special provisions on the books to keep them funded regardless) don’t get paid; therefore they don’t work.
Congress itself is one of those government organizations that have special provisions to make sure they get paid regardless. US citizens think that looks pretty sleazy, considering the Center for Disease Control and environmental monitoring services and stuff are currently closed down. But it doesn’t really matter anyway, because the majority of Congressional representatives are independently wealthy to begin with.
It matters a hell of a lot for everybody else in the country, though, because all those people getting furloughed are US citizens who’re going to have to try to make ends meet till they get their jobs back.