Congress is NOT doing their job. They do not negotiate, they do not know how to get past single-issue agendas, and they are controlled by special interests. They cannot pass a budget, which is perhaps the most fundamental task of our elected Representatives and Senators. Instead, they hold hostage 800,000 federal employees, withhold basic government services to all Americans, and put America's credit and credibility on the line, even as they bury our struggling economy at the rate of $1 billion per week. And, ironically, we elect and pay members of the House and Senate to do this. But this is NOT why we voted them into office. It's time to demand a recall vote, but the crafters of our Constitution did not authorize citizens' right to recall Members of Congress as they never envisioned that Congress would fail to do their job. The Constitution needs to be amended so that Americans do not have to be at the mercy of a Congress that is derelict in their collective duty.

My first two of five children got their Head Start at its beginning in the 60s when we lived in Woodside Queens. Social Security and the Veteran's Administration Hospital have kept me going. Let it be known that I totally support Obama and his imperfect but breakthrough Affordable Medical Plan. I hope it morphs into a one-payer plan which is what it is meant to be before it collapses under the attack of the rich and selfish Republicans and their naive and ignorant followers in the Tea Party. All people in and out of all levels of government must demonstrate and speak out. Actions speak louder than words.

I am no longer proud to be an American when I see such self-centered hypocritical people taking over our government.

I have a friend who is now dying of cancer. She has never been on welfare, and has worked all of her life, but could never afford the health care afforded to members of Congress. Therefore she was denied and delayed appropriate treatment for her disease, that she would have received were she a member of Congress. I am appalled at the extent to which the Tea Party GOP has gone in their sick attempts to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, especially this government shutdown.

Republican extremism has effectively made representational government unworkable. Rather than live with prior legislation or enact new legislation, the Republicans are trying to force their own desires on the country-at-large through refusing to allow the government to act at all. Do not give in on any of their demands and make them fully accountable for the results of their selfish actions.

My fellow federal employees and I would like to continue to work and serve the American people. As a result of the poor leadership from the Tea Party in the U.S House, the government has shutdown and I am in furlough status. A clean budget must be passed immediately before the Tea Party Republicans devastate the economy any further.

Tea party Republicans have held our government hostage for too long! During that time, more than 800,000 government employees have been unable to work, 3,200 children have been locked out of Head Start, and 401 national parks have been closed to the public. We've had enough -- it's time to end the shutdown, raise the debt ceiling and help America move forward.

This is absolutely ridiculous and needs to stop. The majority of Americans agree with the Affordable Care Act and are sick of the lies and antics.

Because of the government shutdown, funding on house loans has stopped but our company depends on this income. We need our sales to continue, for the good of our hometown and our livelihoods.

Republican extremism has impacted hardworking, tax-paying citizens across the country, particularly those who are most vulnerable: women, elderly, and children. As a business owner who understands economics, I am disgusted. If we don't stop this now, we stand to see this occur whenever Republicans do not get their way. End this shutdown NOW. Americans deserve better.

It's time to end this. If you can't keep the government running, then you and the rest of Congress should not be paid either.

While I have not been personally affected by the shutdown in a significant way, the evidence is all around us: schools deprived, nutrition programs affected, incomes curtailed, threats of impairment of many vital functions.