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.

The democratic issue of letting the people have their voice in the House of Representatives is not being articulated or respected. The current leadership of the House is preventing a vote by the full House on the issue. This representation of ALL of the people is an issue fundamental to American way of government, and yet this issue of democracy is not being well-presented by the current protagonists. This is not a totalitarian government. Let the people speak.

The extremism and the willingness of Congress to play games with the lives of its constituents has had a major impact on me. I am a federal employee, working for the U.S. Air Force. On Tuesday morning, a gentleman came to my desk to tell me he had something he needed to read to me. I am blind, so I can't read printed documents without assistance. This gentleman had a furlough notice to read to me, because Congress had chosen to let the government be shut down rather than pass a continuing resolution and then work out their differences. As the gentleman placed his finger on the document, indicating where I should sign to show that I understood what was being done, all I could think about was how I'm going to pay my bills while Congress collects paychecks and continues to bargain with the livelihoods of over 800,000 people in situations similar to mine. One word rises to the surface of my thoughts whenever I think about this--unacceptable!

Urgent call to action. Help protect these children by creating Law’s Protecting our children in the Foster Care systems. These children have fallen through the cracks and NEED help immediately. STOP Children in foster care continued being placed with KNOWN pedophiles and mentally incompetent care providers who exploit, physically/mentally/sexually abuse, trafficking and murdering children.

I am affected by the situation of sending young men in California out of state to serve their time. I have a son who is incarcerated in Prison. He would be sent to another state where I would not be able to visit him.

Republican extremism has impacted me in this way: Trying to stop or delay the Affordable Care Act will keep my family from buying health insurance."

As a military spouse of a 22-year veteran, I am feeling the impact of Republican extremism. We are not able to get much-needed medication or shop for food at the commissary. We are blessed enough to hold out for a few months but I feel for those who don't have the same time. It's time to stop holding the public hostage. Put your parents in this equation. Are you willing to throw them under the bus as well? If so, GOD help you. You do reap what you sow.

We have worked long and hard so that at our current ages (ranging from 63 to 84), we could finally purchase a home. We are three generations under one roof and require a USDA mortgage. We searched and searched and found the perfect one. It was a foreclosure, so a long and drawn-out process, to be sure. Finally, six days ago, we received signed documents back from the bank. Yay, it's really gonna happen! A few days later, our government shut down and our mortgage process has been halted. We are begging you, Congress--PLEASE DON'T SHATTER OUR DREAM!

I believe that if we run into the debt limit impasse and fail to deal with it, this could lead to a major recession with reverberations throughout the world, such as happened in 2008-2009. At that time, the real estate market totally stagnated, jobs were lost, and home mortgages were foreclosed in large numbers. There is such a thing as the "Full Faith and Credit of the United States of America", and when the U.S. government stalls out on the simple issue of paying their bills, this can happen.

When Governor Pataki cut income taxes for the richest New Yorkers in 1995, his tax cuts led to multibillion dollar budget deficits, poor investment in our state's schools and infrastructure, and a stagnant middle class. His specialty is clearly in wrongheaded tax cuts for the wealthy. So it's a mystery why Governor Cuomo would ask former Republican Gov. George Pataki to lead a commission to cut $3 billion in taxes. All he knows how to do is to help out the top 1%, who have already done perfectly fine, while neglecting the needs of our families and children across the state. Expanding universal pre-K, building our infrastructure, and tackling record income inequality all deserve our attention ahead of giving more to those who have enough. Let's save that money and invest in our people and values.

As someone who was injured on the job almost 18 years ago, I have not been able to get medical insurance because of my pre-existing condition. My spine and knees are literally deteriorating due to arthritis and I live in fear of the day when my knees blow out or I bend over to pick something up and the disc in my back bulges, sending me to the emergency room for treatment I can't afford. I live in pain every day and can't afford medication to make it tolerable. But apparently, Republicans have decided that people like me don't deserve affordable health care. Even my own Governor has decided to turn his back on me by denying Louisiana citizens the access to healthcare that other people have. Canada is looking better all the time.

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