Ending shutdown with hopes for bi-partisan deal

IN my neighbourhood, located in a Maryland suburban area that is adjunct to Washington, DC, they do take federal government shutdowns quite personally.

Indeed, Montgomery County, Maryland, is not only home for one of the largest percentages of federal government workers in the United States, but also houses several large federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA).

And among many of those who do not work directly for the government, there are also thousands of "contractors", including those employed by technology firms and law firms that support the work of the government - and get paid by it.