This letter is from a current federal employee that is now facing down the looming government shutdown. Further more, I am employed as an essential employee that must still report to work even though I won’t be paid until a budget is passed. Since I have to go to work I cannot work a different job that would at least help off set the loss of my families primary source of income. The most infuriating part about this, is the members of Congress will still be paid while the members of their staff will not be paid along with the other federal workers. The multimillionaires of Congress still get a paycheck, but the people that need it the most are having their’s withheld.
This fight about the budget is not having the intended consequences you planned. Each party is trying to use this process to hurt the other party, but all it is doing is hurting your constituents. Federal workers pay raises have been falling behind inflation for years, and it is affecting all of us. Even when we do get a pay raise, it has been offset by increased cost in taxes, insurance, or other benefits that we pay for out of our own pocket. I know multiple people are worried whether they will be putting food on the table for their family by the end of October. Let alone paying there mortgage/rent, utilities, or any of the other bills they have to pay without getting a paycheck.
This is just how the government affects me, my daily, friends, and coworkers. This doesn’t begin to account for all the other thing that rely on funding from the federal government. Emergency services, schools, food programs, and state parks will all be affected in the coming weeks.
To the members of Congress, stop playing politics with other people’s livelihoods, and figure it out.