The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, one of many institutions closed by the federal government shutdown
On Tuesday, Oct. 1, thanks to Republicans refusing to provide proper funding, the federal government shut down. "Non-essential" federal employees were sent home, while those considered "essential" are required to stay on the job—without pay. The ripple effects of this shutdown are broad and have been detailed at length in many news stories,
such as this one.
But dry recitations of which government agencies will curtail which functions leave out the all-important human element. So we'd like to ask members of the Daily Kos community who've been directly affected by the shutdown to share their stories. Whether the impact has been large or small, we want to hear from you.