Effects of the Shutdown

Floor Speech

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Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for holding this important Special Order hour. It is so important that we tell the stories of the very real impact of this shutdown, and I appreciate her giving us that opportunity.

I do want to share some of the stories from my district.

We recently heard from Emily, who is a TSA agent at Logan Airport and a single mom of three. She hasn't received her paycheck. She won't be getting one tomorrow and is worried about falling behind on rent and childcare payments. She has to stay current with childcare or she loses her children's spots. She said: ``I don't know how I'm going to make this work. If I don't get paid, how can I afford to send my children to daycare?'' She has $400 left in her bank account.

Then there is Donna from Revere. She has been employed at her job for the last 22 years but doesn't know where her next meal will come from without a paycheck to rely on. Donna said: ``I have to choose between buying food or paying a bill.''

We received a call from a retired Federal employee in Natick. She lives in affordable housing and is required to prove her income to renew her lease. She cannot obtain a statement from OPM regarding her pension because they are closed, jeopardizing her living situation.

Sandy called us. She owns a startup in Cambridge that almost exclusively contracts with DOD and DHS. This is a small business, and they are struggling to keep up with payroll as the checks stopped coming. She said: ``We have about a week and a half of payroll left.''

David from Ashland is an Active Duty Coast Guard member stationed in Boston. I want to note that the community has come together to open a food bank for our Coast Guard members and their families. He doesn't know how he and his family are going to continue to pay their bills.

The Coast Guard, certainly for coastal States and for our national security, plays a critical role, not only in search and rescue, and protection from terrorism, but also in drug interdiction. The fact that we are asking Coast Guard members, who serve their country proudly and with great patriotism, to work without pay is a national shame.

Susan from Belmont receives a housing subsidy through HUD, and if the shutdown continues, she is afraid she could face the possibility of eviction.

We have heard from Amanda in Waltham. Amanda is an Indian citizen who has resided with legal status in the U.S. for over 12 years, working for a childcare provider. She, her husband, and young son traveled to India in November to visit with family. At that time, they went to the U.S. consulate to get their visas stamped. Her husband's visa was issued right away, but Amanda's was subject to further review. Having not received her visa, she remains in India, separated from her son and husband. The shutdown has delayed this processing further and has prolonged the separation, which is a significant hardship on this family.

These are just a few of the stories that we have heard about what is the real impact of this shutdown.

It is long past time that we open government. We can negotiate on what real border security looks like, but it shouldn't be done at the expense of the security of these families and of our national security as well.

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