We elected them and are paying the Congress to work for us. They have chosen not to do so. A vacation long-scheduled in a national park, clinical trials which may be needed for my cancer-stricken husband, research for better treatment for cancer-stricken patients, our children's education, and a myriad of social safety nets are in peril. No one in any elected office should be able to harm the people in this fashion. Stop the cuts, pass the budget, raise the debt limit. Now.

As a former federal employee from Washington, D.C., I appreciate how hard federal employees work and how they and their families rely on a regular paycheck. Congresswoman Michele Bachman recently argued that members of Congress are "federal employees" (for purposes of the Affordable Care Act). If that is the case, they should feel the pain of a furlough like other federal workers.

Republican extremism has impacted me in this way: They have taken away the ability for the people to make a living , and support my family. these are damn fool.

"Organized stalking" according to Eleanor White is surveillance and harassment of a designated target by stalkers who are members of groups, which are networked. According to her: Why targets can hardly ever get public officials to take organized stalking as seriously as they do single stalker stalking. It is time for the anti-stalking laws of the early 1990s to finally be applied to organized stalking groups. Legislators should facilitate this by adding specific references to organized stalking, and related tactics, into the stalking laws.

When you put the country's economy in jeopardy, you make us all vulnerable--both financially and physically.

In the event of a government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed, not knowing if or when they might get paid. They are powerless to change their fates. Members of Congress get paid in the event of a government shutdown — no matter what. Perhaps it's this lack of having skin in the game that encourages some members of Congress to be reckless and cavalier about their childish threats and ultimate misguided decisions to shutdown the government when they can't get their way. Simply put -- if Congressmen and women vote to close down the government, they shouldn't be paid while the government is closed. Members of Congress should have to bear the same responsibility for their decisions as those who are most affected by them.

My son's 4th grade class was to go to the Beatrice Homestead National Monument on Wednesday, but it was closed. He could have had a very memorable field trip, but now he will remember that the Republicans ruined that for him. There goes another future voter of the GOP!

The Republican shutdown is a serious assault to our democratic form of government. For a small group of extremists to blackmail us to change a law, or to achieve some minority political objective, is not democracy. Republican extremism has impacted us all in this way.

The new national rule, 2.06A, that has just been instituted will have a negative impact on the upcoming mixed and women's/men's seasons. Leagues will fall apart and/or have considerably fewer teams, captains will resign due to the headache of finding players, people will not have teams to join due to the restrictions and teams not having made nationals will have to dispand because of various individuals who did make nationals. Lastly and most importantly, the USTA's mission statement is"To promote and develop the growth of tennis". Do you think this new rule fits into the mission statement of the USTA?

Republican extremism has impacted me in this way: Research funding for the basic sciences has been cut by the Republican budgets, including the sequester, leading to unemployment for me and for many other scientists nationwide. As we are forced to abandon the pursuit of basic research that has led to huge economic advances for our nation and the world, we see that these budget cuts are discouraging young people from pursuing science and we are telling our students to go into other fields or move overseas. We are ceding our national advantage in innovation and development to countries like China and Korea who are raising their investments, which will ultimately aid them in surpassing our economy and relegate the U.S. to following, rather than leading, in our global, technological economy.

I am deeply disappointed that our Republican brethren do not seem able to set aside their agenda for the sake of the good of the country. As a result of their obstinacy, I have been unable to deal with tax questions (no one is manning the help lines at the IRS), and I am worried both about my parents, who depend on their meager Social Security payments, and the long-term impact on the health of several family members who depend on the Veteran's Administration for psychiatric and medical healthcare.

I moved to Virginia 4.5 years ago from El Paso, Texas. I am a retired soldier. I have to work because my military retirement is surely not enough to retire on. I love my job. I also must work because the state of Virginia does not allow me to collect unemployment. I love what I do. I feel vital working. I am of sound mind and body. I want to work. Make your decision and allow me to do the work (in the public sector) that I love. I have bills to pay. If this goes on any longer, I am not sure I will have money to pay my rent.