On the 14th day of the government shutdown, 11 elected leaders from Maryland and Virginia came together outside the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to stand in solidarity with federal workers, and criticize what they call cruel cuts from the Trump administration.
Workers, caught in the middle of a political standstill and impacted by the shutdown as it stretches into its third week, shared how the stalemate in Washington is taking a toll.
They were backed by the lawmakers from across the DMV — all Democrats — as they called for compassion for federal workers.
“These are not numbers,” said Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks. “These are humans. These are people with lives and families and children.”
Efforts to end the shutdown have stalled. Republican leaders say they won’t negotiate over a short-term funding bill, unless Democratic leaders back off demands to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. Those tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year.
“They put an end date on it because they knew it was supposed to be related to Covid, and it’s become a boondoggle,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Democrats say millions could lose their healthcare if the subsidies aren’t extended.
“Let’s stop the healthcare crisis cliff, and let’s make sure these federal workers get backpay and get back to doing their duty and helping the American public,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said.
But the political finger-pointing continues. The OMB, which oversees how the president’s agenda is implemented across the executive branch, plays a large role in deciding what agencies and federal workers are essential during government shutdowns.
This time, OMB has implemented several unusual reductions in force (RIFs), firing thousands of workers who were furloughed. In a statement on social media, OMB then blamed Democrats for the shutdown that led to those furloughs.
“OMB is making every preparation to batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats’ intransigence,” the OMB posted to X on Tuesday. “Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs and wait.”
Laid-off federal workers like Jessica Weinberg shared their concerns over government spending cuts.
Weinberg worked for the Department of Health and Human Services, and her job was to warn the public about medical device recalls. She says her whole department was cut.
“I think there’s a personal devastation, losing my career, losing my ability to provide for my family, but also just knowing so viscerally what this means for the country in terms of just the loss of public safety,” Weinberg said.
While she admits the shutdown isn’t ideal, she hopes it ultimately leads to an extension for the ACA healthcare subsidies.
“This is one of the only levers to bring people to the table, to have negotiations and a reasonable conversation around how to move our country forward and protect the public,” Weinberg said.
The government shutdown is now the fifth longest in U.S. history, and the House has no plans to return for a vote this week, with Speaker Johnson saying it’s up to Senate Democrats to vote to end this shutdown.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/GmVbkRI
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