In recent decades, most government shutdowns saw agencies furlough employees during a lapse in funding, but those workers would be quickly brought back to their jobs once Congress passed a spending bill. This time, the White House is demanding that agencies submit Reduction in Force (RIF) plans extending far beyond conventional furloughs. This unprecedented move sets the stage for a more protracted and painful government shutdown that will affect millions of Americans.
Federal workers across the country are facing financial uncertainty and stress as they wait for a paycheck that will never come. Many of them have invested their careers in the missions of their agencies and can’t help but feel that they’ve been dismissed by a political party that has no regard for national interest or a shared vision of our future. This is particularly true for those who have devoted their work to public service, like the hundreds of military members who are working without pay during this shutdown.
Each week of a shutdown drains about $15 billion from the economy and costs tens of thousands of jobs. It also halts the transformation of historic buildings into affordable housing and disrupts financing tools for families who need them. Those who work in the public sector deserve to be paid for their hard work, and that’s why Congress must pass a bill that keeps the government open. This crisis is the result of Democratic refusal to fund border security, veterans and national infrastructure without tying it to their radical agenda.
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