WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) detailed the dangerous impacts a government shutdown will have for families and businesses in Massachusetts. The federal government is set to run out of funding at midnight on September 30th, and House Republicans have yet to bring up legislation that would keep key programs open.
“A government shutdown would be disastrous for working families, our courageous servicemembers, and small businesses. There is an obvious path forward – taking up and passing the bipartisan compromise reached by Senate Democrats and Republicans. That bill would pass with strong support on both sides of the aisle in the House,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Over the past few weeks, as extreme MAGA Republicans began clamoring for a shutdown, it became clear Speaker McCarthy would have a decision to make: keep the Speakership a little longer or put the country first. Sadly, his refusal to take up the Senate agreement is proof that Kevin McCarthy cares more about his job security than the livelihoods of the hardworking families we represent.”
The Senate unveiled a bipartisan compromise package that would keep the federal government open through mid-November. Despite that agreement clearing a procedural hurdle in the Senate with a 77-13 vote, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said he will not bring it to the House floor for consideration, meaning a shutdown is becoming increasingly more likely. That decision has been slammed by leaders of both parties, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
A government shutdown would devastate working families, hurt small businesses, damage the economy, undermine national security, and force millions of troops and federal employees to work without pay. In Massachusetts:
- Military: 14,798 active duty and reserve servicemembers in Massachusetts would be forced to work without pay.
- Food Assistance: 125,921 Massachusetts residents, including 100,000 children and infants, who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program would lose access to their benefit within days of a shutdown. Another 1,085,740 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries in Massachusetts would lose access to benefits in a prolonged shutdown.
- Food and Drug Safety: Workers at the Food and Drug Administration would be sidelined, risking interruptions and delays to the 425 food safety, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other inspections conducted in Massachusetts last year.
- Financial Assistance: Without federal funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the Commonwealth would have to choose to cover the full cost of this critical benefit for 78,582 low-income beneficiaries.
- Air Travel Security: 1,182 TSA officers and 64 air traffic controllers would be forced to continue working without pay, leading to significant delays and longer wait times for the 31,606 people who fly through Massachusetts airports each day.
- Small Businesses: The Small Business Administration (SBA) would stop processing small business loans, halting programs that provide more than $520 million in funding to small businesses in Massachusetts every year. The 2018-2019 shutdown delayed over $2 billion in loans to small businesses.
- Federal Workers: 29,709 federal workers in Massachusetts would be furloughed or forced to work without pay, in addition to the many employees of businesses with government contracts who could be laid off, furloughed, or see their hours cut.
A shutdown would also have far reaching implications nationwide, including:
- Eliminating Head Start access for 10,000 children across the country.
- Limiting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to conduct hazardous waste site and drinking water inspections.
- Disrupting federal funded infrastructure projects, including many set to be funded by the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- Impairing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) efforts to conduct workplace inspections intended to ensure workers are protected on the job.
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