What A Government Shutdown Means For Montana

What does the possible government shutdown mean for us here in Montana?  Well it would close Yellowstone & Glacier National Parks as well as other federal recreation sites, delay some  federally funded road projects and freeze home purchases backed by the government.

Missoula, Mont. -- Still no deal as the federal government inches closer to a shutdown. President Obama met with Republicans Thursday to try to hammer out a last minute solution. The President announced his staff will work with Congress through the night to try to avoid a federal government shutdown.

Lawmakers must reach a deal to keep the government running past midnight Friday.

Obama says a shutdown would keep some 800,000 people from working, leave millions without some government service and stall economic growth.

The President and Congressional leaders say they're optimistic a deal could be reached sometime on Friday.

"We've now seen 13 months of job growth, 1.8 million new jobs, we had the best jobs report than we've seen in a very long time just this past Friday. For us to go backwards because Washington couldn't get its act together is unacceptable," says Obama.

Montana's Congressional delegation is worried about what the shutdown would mean for Montanans. They are not ready to give up on stopping the shutdown yet. All three spoke out against the idea Thursday.

"This is a time where folks are getting refund checks from the IRS, they are critically important. A lot of people budget around those refund checks, and they're not going to happen. You know the list goes on and on and on and on," says Sen. Jon Tester.

Republicans pitched a resolution to keep the government running for another week, but on MSNBC Tester said that's not what the government needs right now.

"I think what we need in government is predictability, and I think these short-term continuing resolutions give us anything but predictability in government," he said.

Rep. Denny Rehberg wants to avoid a shutdown too, and favors the resolution even though President Obama says he'll veto.

via Montana Delegates Speak Out Against Shutdown - News Story - NBCMontana NBC Montana.