The government shutdown started in December, it is now mid-January—when will the shutdown end?
President Trump said he could relate to people impacted by the government shutdown. He also said federal employees should just make adjustments like they always do—while casually adding that he might keep the government shut down for “months or years.” Clearly, Mr. Trump does not know what it means to live paycheck to paycheck.
I get my groceries from Walmart twice a month, and I manage to stretch $100 into two week’s worth of groceries—this is the norm for a lot of working Americans. I want President Trump to try to live on less than $43,000 a year for a family of 4 for just a day. Maybe then he’d understand why this government shutdown is so disastrous for families like mine.
My husband is considered an “essential” federal employee which means he is required to work without pay when the government is shutdown, and I was a part-time federal contractor until we had our baby nine months ago. My husband and I chose to work for the federal government because we liked the idea of serving our country and moving up within a system that generally has a lot of security and upward mobility.
Our family makes just a little more than the qualifying amount for food stamps. Every two weeks my husband brings in around $1,000 and after paying our bills, rent, insurance, and groceries there is not a lot left. Every penny is allocated to something and if anything goes wrong or if there is an unexpected expense with our children we do not have a nest egg to fall back on. President Trump said that furloughed workers like my husband believe that shutting down the government for months or years over a border wall would be worth it. I can tell you that my family—like countless other American families—can’t wait, and it’s not worth it.
January 15th should have been payday for our family, but we did not get a check. One missed paycheck can have devastating consequences for many federal workers.
My husband frequently works overtime to supplement our income since I'm not working right now so I can care for our baby, but thanks to the shutdown we will not see that overtime pay. But this is bigger than our family. I have many federal worker friends who are affected by this shutdown. One of my furloughed friends is a single mother of four who was working two jobs before the shutdown, now she is working three jobs just to keep food on the table—we all know families going the extra mile to provide for their families.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that oversees federal workers did offer some advice to its 800,000 furloughed workers. They provided sample letters to us to give to creditors that explained our situation and need for reduced or partial payment. One such letter suggested we extend services in exchange for partial payment. I don’t think a hall pass from OPM will cause our creditors to forgive our inability to pay our bills, but perhaps I can send a chocolate cake instead of my car payment?
The government shutdown is not a Republican or Democrat issue—as an Independent, I feel qualified to say that. The shutdown is about President Trump’s “need” for a wall under the guise of national security. If President Trump is concerned about the safety of Americans, he must realize that the shutdown is a more significant and immediate threat to Americans.
We are tired of being held as bargaining chips. We are hardworking and dedicated people who deserve more from our elected officials. President Trump: my family is asking you to reopen the government now. We, and so many other families, can't afford to wait any longer.
Jamie V. is a former federal employee and her husband is a current federal employee. They have two children and live in Oklahoma.