Americans blame Trump for the government shutdown. Trump said “I will be the one to shut it down,” and that’s exactly what he did. Now, workers across the country are struggling because they don’t know when their next paycheck will come.
Here are real stories of workers hurt by the Trump Shutdown:
“People need their money. I don’t think it’s right for us to have to use our sick days. … The man [Trump] only cares about himself.”- Federal worker
“My supervisor told me we won’t be getting paid, so my bills won’t be getting paid.” – Federal worker
“We have about a month in savings and that’s it. That’s a struggle because an appliance can break, a car can need breaks. Just like everyone else, we’re one or two paychecks from being in serious trouble.” – Federal worker
“I wouldn’t buy any Christmas gifts knowing the government is gonna shut down. You have to think about your living.” – Federal worker
“My son made a comment where he said Santa didn’t give us as much as he did last year, and that was heartbreaking.” – Federal worker
“They have no idea what it’s like to go through this. … So if I give [my leasing company] all my money, I don’t know when the government opens up again. So we’re stuck in this limbo while the shutdown happens.” – Federal worker
“I already talked to the landlord and he’s talked about letting me out of the lease if necessary.” – Federal worker
“That’s thousands of dollars that I can’t just put out somewhere not knowing when I’m going to get paid again. … My well-being is not at stake, but my dreams and hopes for something in life are being fractured and highly possibly shattered.” – Federal worker
“They all work for an employer who works for the government. They could lose their homes or not be able to feed their kids.” – SEIU local 32BJ vice president
“It just kind of snowballs into our people doing things that they know they shouldn’t do and further financially obligating themselves. They have to keep their heater going. They have to keep their water on.” – Navajo Nation president
“He is one of those essential employees. He is going to work today and yet doesn’t know when the next paycheck is going to come, so in the meanwhile he’s got to figure out how to pay the bills.” – NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard