The events taking place in Washington today perpetrated by our elected leader is totally unacceptable.

I believe that this country, with its apparent wealth and as the leader of the free world, cannot and should never be in a situation as we are now experiencing — a lousy situation with of over 1 million citizens either out of work or working without pay. This all because of partisan politics and a senseless president who is holding the million or so citizens hostage for the funding of a wall, with the Republican-controlled Senate supporting him, and with total disregard to the hardship it’s bringing to all of these people. He is asking for $5.7 billion, which in no way will cover the cost of the wall, nor will it solve the manufactured issue.

Here is a solution. Pass legislation or amend the Constitution to make shutting down of the federal government illegal. Also making the president, House of Representatives and the Senate responsible for it if it occurs.

This would surely reduce the partisan attitude and eliminate using our hard-working citizens as pawns and holding them hostage to gain some political leverage.

Lewis P. Pelletier

Winslow