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John,

It is easy to tune out the headlines about the ongoing government shutdown. They sound like politics as usual — more dysfunction in Washington over obscure spending bills and partisan demands.

But behind all that noise are real people and families who are getting hurt. 2.2 million Americans work for the federal government, many of them far from DC in towns, cities and states nationwide. For them, the consequences of this shutdown are immediate and deeply personal. Let us introduce you to one of those impacted workers.

Dave Demas is a federal corrections officer in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He went to work this morning and will report again tomorrow, just as he has every day since the shutdown began because he is classified as an “essential” worker. His job is to maintain order and safety in a federal prison — one of the most difficult and dangerous public service roles in the country. He is doing everything that is asked of him. But he is no longer getting paid.

 WATCH DAVE’S THOUGHTS ON THE SHUTDOWN 

As Dave tells us, during a shutdown, “Morale plummets. You go home to your family without a paycheck. I have two daughters. We’re already looking at a personal loan just to bridge the gap. We shouldn’t be used as bargaining chips.”

Dave’s story is not unique. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are living through the same reality. Some — like Dave — are classified as “essential,” which means they are required to keep working without pay until Congress passes a funding bill. Others have been furloughed and legally barred from doing their jobs, even if they want to help. A furloughed federal employee cannot even log on to their work email.

And the federal workforce is just part of the story. Key Medicare telehealth flexibilities also expired because Congress failed to act, which means many seniors can no longer see their doctors remotely. Clinicians have been forced to cancel virtual visits, scramble appointments, or stop offering remote care altogether. And Washington still has not fixed it.

Even on Capitol Hill, most congressional staffers have been furloughed, and the rest are working without pay. But their bosses, the elected members of Congress, are still receiving their full salaries — protected by the Constitution from any interruption, even as the people they represent go without.

That disconnect drives home the point that shutdowns are pointless and reckless. The people doing the work are either stuck at home or showing up without a paycheck, and the people responsible for the shutdown have insulated themselves from the consequences.

No Labels has long called for a commonsense solution: No Budget, No Pay. If Congress cannot do its most basic job — funding the government — then its members should not get paid. That is a principle most Americans agree with, and it is one Congress continues to ignore.

This Monday, October 6 at 5:30 PM ET, join No Labels Chief Strategist Ryan Clancy for a live briefing on the shutdown, the proposed layoffs, and what you can do to help end this manufactured crisis.

The longer this shutdown drags on, the more damage it will do — to families, communities, and the public servants who keep this country running. It is time to reopen the government and restore some basic accountability in Washington.

Essential workers like Dave Demas are doing their jobs. Congress should do theirs.

Margaret White

Co-Executive Director

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