Constant threat of GOP’s government shutdowns create uncertainty, stress for Virginia workers

Home to 140,000 federal workers, Virginia is particularly vulnerable when Republicans use the funding of the government as a bargaining chip in their culture war battles.

Congress passed this week a stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown ahead of Election Day, but Virginia’s federal workers still had to deal with the uncertainty and stress of waiting to see whether they would have to work without pay. 

The threat of government shutdowns has become a fact of life for Virginia’s 140,000 federal workers as Republicans have increasingly used budget negotiations as opportunities to ram through right-wing policy priorities. 

This week, 82 House Republicans, including Rep. Bob Good of Virginia’s 5th District and Morgan Griffith of Virginia’s 9th District, voted against the bipartisan funding measure. On the Senate side, 18 Republicans voted against it. Former President Donald Trump had called on Republicans to risk a government shutdown if Congress didn’t pass controversial legislation that would require proof of citizenship for voting.

I will vote NO on the short-term CR which:

💰continues egregious Biden-Harris deficit spending

💰wastes taxpayer dollars on woke policies

💰adds to our unsustainable $35T debt

💰funds the agencies destroying our country

And does nothing to secure our elections.

— Congressman Bob Good (@RepBobGood) September 25, 2024

Because Congress only funded the government through Dec. 20, more stressful times could be ahead right in time for the holiday season. During government shutdowns, workers deemed essential have to work without pay and non-essential workers are furloughed. 

“It always brings relief when we find out that there has been a stopgap put in place, but we know that that relief is temporary,” said Aleseia Saunders, a Department of Education worker who lives in Woodbridge. “It’s not as if we received funding for the entire year.” Saunders is a member of a local American Federation of Government Employees union that represents Department of Education workers. 

When government shutdowns happen like they did in 2013 and 2018-2019, federal workers rely on their unions to help them connect with food banks, businesses and restaurants that offer discounts to federal workers, and other community organizations offering assistance, said Scott Robinson, the president of a local American Federation of Government Employees union that represents Transportation Security Administration workers in Virginia. Robinson said the shutdown that occurred under the Trump Administration was the worst because it dragged on for more than 30 days. 

“Much of the TSA workforce lives paycheck to paycheck,” Robinson said. “Missing a paycheck is incredibly significant, and missing two, three, or four paychecks is potentially financially disastrous.” 

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