‘Catastrophic & avoidable’: Federal workers emotional as government shutdown hits hard

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids sat down with nearly a dozen furloughed federal workers Thursday in an emotional meeting where employees were brought to tears speaking about their struggles.

The workers described showing up to empty offices and said morale is at an all-time low as they continue working without pay or remain furloughed during the ongoing government shutdown.

Republicans have turned the blame on Democrats in Washington, D.C., but Rep. Davids, a Democrat, calls this a failure in leadership across D.C. and is calling on Republican leaders to bring parties together.

“A government shutdown is catastrophic when it happens. It is also completely avoidable and I’ve been very clear. I’m here to work with Democrats and Republicans. We gotta get the federal government back open, but right now, literally Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to call the house back into session so that we can even participate in that negotiation process,” Davids said.

Nearly a dozen federal employees and union leaders met with Davids to figure out how to move forward in the government shutdown. All of them are furloughed or working without pay.

Chandler McGinnis, a Social Security employee who handles calls to the Social Security hotline, said the situation has reached a breaking point.

“It’s to the point where it feels like we are being dismantled from within,” McGinnis said.

McGinnis said people calling about renewing Medicaid, changing how money is deposited, or seeking new cancer treatment cannot get much help during the shutdown.

Right now, their systems aren’t working as efficiently as they usually do, and fewer people are working on the backend.

“We have things that should be processed in 30 to 60 days that are not even being touched for 12 to 16 months. They scream at me and they call me names and I tell them, ‘I’m sorry. Call us back when the shutdown is over and we might be able to try again’,” McGinnis said.

She said she has had these conversations with terminally ill patients.

“People are dying before their benefits are being decided on and it’s hard because I don’t have the answers for them,” McGinnis said.

McGinnis said if the shutdown does not end soon, she will face similar financial struggles as the people she serves.

“Some people will get kicked out of their housing. Some people won’t be able to afford their lives, their medication and it’s detrimental. As a federal employee, now that we are working without pay, we are right there with them,” McGinnis said.

McGinnis said people calling about renewing Medicaid, changing how money is deposited, or seeking new cancer treatment cannot get much help during the shutdown.

Labor and IRS union leaders expressed similar fears. One furloughed worker described constant anxiety about the uncertainty.

“I am so anxious all the time; the uncertainty is the hardest part. I’m furloughed, so I’m not working and I’m not gonna be paid until the shutdown is over and some of my bills don’t understand that, so of course I’m a wreck. I’m not sleeping at night. It’s really, really hard,” said Daniel Scharpenburg, an IRS worker and Vice President of the local IRS union.

Jeff Suchman, President of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1748, said federal workers who have been furloughed perform critical safety and oversight functions.

“We do things like make workplaces safe, make sure people properly make sure people pension funds are safe. Make sure that injured workers get paid appropriately. You know it’s ridiculous that the people who end up being hurt are ordinary, hard-working Americans, who, for their profession, chose to serve their community,” Suchman said.

Suchman said he expects that in the next week, about 30,000 federal employees in the Kansas City area will start running out of money.

McGinnis said she is considering leaving her job due to the uncertainty. A call she hopes leaders in Washington, D.C., hear.

“I’m thinking about quitting because it’s scary and I don’t have any certainty of my pay. So I just hope that they can stand up for us and explain to the people how important this is,” McGinnis said.

Starting next Friday, workers who have been showing up without pay will receive a paycheck with only zeros on it as long as the shutdown continues.

Congressman Ron Estes released the following statement regarding the push from colleagues in Kansas to end this government shutdown.

“Furloughed workers in my district and across the country are unable to do their jobs because the government funding bill is being held hostage by Chuck Schumer and his Senate Democrats. As soon as five Democrats cross the aisle to pass the funding bill with my Republican colleagues in the Senate, the government will be reopened and those who were furloughed should be able to return to their jobs. There is also a system in place for these staffers to receive back pay if their paychecks were impacted in any way during this shutdown.

“Over three weeks ago, I voted with my House Republican colleagues to pass a clean funding bill to keep the government open. It’s time for Chuck Schumer to reopen the government and get our federal staff working again,” the statement read.