The current administration continues to sow chaos and impose trauma on our federal workers (and our country) by pushing a policy agenda for the rich and powerful at the cost of both our democracy and our most vulnerable constituents.
It is important to know in all of the misinformation being circulated right now that:
Our district’s 8,600 federal workers, the second-largest federal workforce in the state, are not villains.
Our military personnel — not villains.
Veterans services like VA regional offices and the GI Bill hotline — not villains.
Vocational counseling and cemetery maintenance workers — not villains.
Also not villains? SNAP recipients.
In the absence of federal funding, all of these folks will face hardship. Federal workers can't afford food and rent (including military personnel). USAA, a bank that services military service members has already provided $300 million in loans to more than 90,000 members to fill the gap left by Congress. And in our district, food assistance will not go out on November 1. That means one out of seven of our neighborhoods will go hungry. In Michigan's First Congressional District - this is 40,000 households that will go without food assistance that currently rely on it. These folks are families, veterans, children, seniors, folks with disabilities.
And, all of this is happening because Bergman does not believe he should negotiate on healthcare. In my conversations with in-district federal workers, they believe that healthcare should be secured. Many folks are, frankly, caught between a rock and a hard place. No food or no healthcare. That should never be the case in the wealthiest country on Earth.
Our people should not be used as pawns in political games.
The government needs to open. We need to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse the Medicaid cuts that if left as is will decimate our rural hospitals. Thousands of Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan families, seniors, and small businesses will see their health insurance costs rise, and hospitals impacted, if care is continued to be denied through inaction.
We can do better.
