To the Editor:
Bloomberg News, on Jan. 15, published a long, detailed analysis of what we can expect 30 days from now as the shutdown continues. It will be so much worse in 30 days that we will think the current situation was not so bad.
I, myself, am among the 53 percent group of Americans who believe the border crisis was conjured out of thin air. We think Trump’s wall is a medieval monstrosity that is far inferior to less expensive methods for improving border security. Using linkages to Congress’ vote tracking, I decided to see what our elected reps are doing about this.

Since Jan. 3, at least seven appropriation bills have passed in the House. Their purpose is, of course, to fund the reopening of government. Dusty Johnson voted in the minority against all seven of these bills.
Over in the Senate, Mitch McConnell has refused to even schedule up-or-down votes on these appropriation bills. Do our South Dakota senators have zero influence regarding these matters? Let’s dream that the Senate does pass some appropriation bills. Are presidential vetoes not possible to override?  
Amazingly, McConnell and our senators found utmost importance in lifting sanctions on a billionaire Russian oligarch. He’s a guy who is reported to have assisted Trump’s convicted campaign manager, Paul Manafort. We’ve also learned that Mitch McConnell has scheduled a Jan. 18 vote, not for ending the shutdown, but rather to diminish women’s health care.
As Kurt Vonnegut would say, “so it goes.”  
Dave L. Wegner
Sioux Falls