Americans upset about the U.S. Government shutdown will not find much solace in the White House comment line.
The number, 202-456-1111, goes straight to voicemail because of the shutdown. Of course, the pre-programmed message wouldn’t do for President Trump’s administration, so they recorded their own.
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“Thank you for calling the White House,” the voicemail message says. “Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today because congressional Democrats are holding government funding — including funding for our troops and other national security priorities — hostage to an unrelated immigration debate.
“Due to this obstruction, the government is shut down. In the meantime, you can leave a comment for the president at www.whitehouse.gov/contact. We look forward to taking your calls as soon as the government re-opens,” the message added.
The government shutdown is a source of outrage for Americans but hearing it politicized in this way further enraged some people. The voicemail message became the topic of conversation on Twitter, where users urged others to hear it for themselves.
“Please call the White House,” one user wrote, “you won’t believe the petty recorded message – keep trying if busy.”
“The recorded message is berserk,” chimed in another. “They blame the shutdown on the Dems and go on and on.”
“Seriously, this is really bothering me – how is this in line with ethics rules??” one person tweeted. “It’s the White House phone line being used for political purposes. That seems like it *should* be a violation even if it turns out it isn’t.”
Of course, those on the other side of the political spectrum are equally enamored with the message. “This is brilliant!” wrote a supporter of the administration. “Nice move @RealDonaldTrump,” including the hashtag “Schumer Shutdown,” which blames the house minority leader for failing to get legislation passed.
The shutdown comes after the U.S. Senate failed to pass a budget, despite having the votes of five Democrats on their side. The main points of disagreement are over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
According to CNN, about 1.3 million active-duty military members could be asked to work without pay after Feb. 1. Over 400 national parks and 19 Smithsonian museums could also be closed if a budget isn’t passed.
