Overall, about 420,000 government employees are working under the promise they will be paid retroactively, with nearly another 350,000 on furlough at home. This does not account for the hundreds of thousands of contractors who will never see this missing pay. This includes the janitorial, food service, information technology and security professionals. Most make at or near minimum wage and cannot afford to miss pay checks. As the shutdown lasts into its third week, these people are missing pay checks and paying the price of a prolonged fight in the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over a million people are being hurt directly by the shutdown which doesn’t even account for local restaurants<\/a> and convenience stores who benefit from the foot traffic and nutrtional needs of those workers. Uber, Lyft and taxi drivers are seeing a sharp decline in business due to the lack of people moving around the city either to commute or to take meetings throughout town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The public transit system is taking a huge hit with nearly 40% of its daily commuters government employees and contractors<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s also outrageously expensive. The U.S. economy will have lost $3.6 billion by Friday, according to S&P.<\/a> In 2013, the government shutdown cost $24 billion after just 16 days.<\/a> As we roll into Days 21 and 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is a snapshot of what’s not getting done and a reminder that anyone still working is not getting paid to work.<\/strong> How long would you do your job without a pay check?<\/p>\n\n\n\n See How the Effects of the Government Shutdown Are Piling Up<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dec 22nd:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dec 26:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dec 28:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dec 30:<\/p>\n\n\n\n January:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jan 4:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jan 11:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jan 12:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jan 18:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jan 25<\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress approves back pay \u2014 eventually \u2014 for furloughed federal employees<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The House on Friday approved the measure on a 411-to-7 vote, following Senate passage Thursday under a shortcut procedure called unanimous consent, in which a bill is deemed passed if no member objects.<\/p> The measure would apply only to furloughed federal employees. Separate legislation is pending in Congress calling for contractors to similarly pay their lower- and middle-income employees who have been furloughed because of the partial shutdown.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The 7 Republicans who voted against back pay for furloughed workers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n But seven lawmakers \u2014 all House Republicans \u2014 opposed the measure. Those “no” votes came from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.) Their main objection is the legislation passed by Congress this week would also guarantee back pay in the event of a future shutdown.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Government Shutdown Curtails F.D.A. Food Inspections<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Food and Drug Administration has stopped routine food safety inspections of seafood, fruits, vegetables and many other foods at high risk of contamination because of the federal government\u2019s shutdown, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the agency\u2019s commissioner, said on Wednesday.<\/p> F.D.A. inspectors normally examine operations at about 160 domestic manufacturing and food processing plants each week. Nearly one-third of them are considered to be at high risk of causing food-borne illnesses. Food-borne diseases in the United States send about 128,000 people to the hospital each year, and kill 3,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Coast Guard families told they can have garage sales to cope with government shutdown – The Washington Post<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees of the U.S. Coast Guard who are facing a long U.S. government shutdown just received a suggestion: To get by without pay, consider holding a garage sale, babysitting, dog-walking or serving as a \u201cmystery shopper.\u201d<\/p> The tip sheet, titled \u201cManaging your finances during a furlough,\u201d applies to the Coast Guard\u2019s 8,500-person civilian workforce. About 6,400 of them are on indefinite furlough, while 2,100 are working without pay after being identified as essential workers, said Lt. Cmdr. Scott McBride, a service spokesman.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u2018Could you make these guys essential?\u2019: Mortgage industry gets shutdown relief after appeal to senior Treasury officials<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the shutdown, the IRS was unable to process a key form that lenders use to confirm borrowers\u2019 incomes before they can grant home loans \u2014 a roadblock that threatened to bring the mortgage industry to a halt.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u2018We all have bills. We all have to eat.\u2019 For furloughed federal workers, the first missed paychecks ratchet up anxiety.<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n With only a few weeks\u2019 worth of cash reserves in the bank, and no end in sight to the war of political attrition between Trump and his Capitol Hill foes, the couple have been lowering the thermostat and skimping at the supermarket, part of their overall belt-tightening. Now on Craigslist, Facebook: Household items from furloughed workers trying to make ends meet<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n A federal worker in Morgantown, W.Va., took to Facebook this week to sell welding tools, left behind by his deceased father-in-law. Another, a die-hard Star Wars fan in Woodbridge, Va., did the same with a life-size copy of Kylo Ren\u2019s lightsaber. A single father in Indiana hosted a sale on eBay with five pages of things found around the house, including Bibles, Nintendo bedsheets and Dr. Seuss neckties.<\/p> \u201cI have $24 in cash on me, I don\u2019t use credit cards and I have $2.40 left in my bank account,\u201d Simeone said. \u201cIf we miss this upcoming paycheck, I will be completely broke.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Over 300 small-business loans a day aren\u2019t happening because of the shutdown<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The SBA typically handles almost 200 loans for working capital via the 7(a) loan program and about 120 loans a day for commercial properties through what\u2019s known as the 504 loan program. In total, these two programs alone are dispensing nearly $200 million worth of loans a day to small and midsize U.S. businesses.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nWhat’s Already Happened<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Upcoming Deadlines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\nAndy Biggs (Ariz.)
\nPaul Gosar (Ariz.)
\nGlen Grothman (Wis.)
\nThomas Massie (Ky.)
\nChip Roy (Texas)
\nTed Yoho (Fla.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n \u201cUsing up what\u2019s in the freezer,\u201d Lisa said.
\n \u201cStopped eating out,\u201d said Gordy.
\n \u201cKeeping the lights off when we\u2019re not in the room.\u201d
\n “Cable TV might have to go.\u201d
\n \u201cPaying the minimum on the credit cards.\u201d
\n \u201cNot driving if we don\u2019t have to.\u201d
\n \u201cI would love a haircut,\u201d Gordy said, \u201cbut that\u2019ll have to wait.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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