Thousands of Maine Workers Will Not Receive Paychecks if Federal Government Shuts Down

A group of House Republicans in Congress is ready to shut down the government if their demand for a series of deep budget cuts and extremist policy changes is not met. A government shutdown will needlessly damage America’s economy, prevent Americans from accessing public services, and force thousands of Maine workers to work without a paycheck or be locked out of their jobs.

According to the Portland Press Herald,about 11,500 federal workers in Maine will be impacted by the shut down, including Transportation Security Administration, Social Security, VA and national park employees, air traffic controllers and most of the civilian workforce at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In the event of a shutdown, roughly 4,500 Maine workers will be furloughed and the other 7,000 federal employees in the state, including federal law enforcement officials and VA employees, will have to work without pay because their jobs are considered “essential.” Federal employees won’t get paid until the stand off in Congress ends.

Unlike the partial shutdown in 2018-2019 which affected only certain agencies, this shutdown will affect most federal employees as Congress has not enacted any of the 12 appropriations bills to fund the government in fiscal year 2024 that starts Oct. 1. The same group of Republicans has also blocked efforts to pass a clean short-term funding measure known as continuing resolution (CR).

Why is the shutdown happening?

The House Freedom Caucus, the most conservative and extreme bloc of the Republican Party, is threatening to withhold funding and shut down the government if their demands are not met.

In exchange for their support for a Continuing Resolution designed to avert the shutdown Oct. 1, they demanded any funding bill include their preferred language on border security, include no additional aid to Ukraine, cut funding at the Department of Justice, and eliminate diversity and inclusivity programs at the Department of Defense.

They also demanded massive, across-the-board cuts beyond the numbers House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden agreed to as part of the debt ceiling deal earlier this year. These cuts would hurt the missions of the agencies at which American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) members serve.

Tell Congress to Act NOW and Fund Our Government

To avoid a disastrous shutdown, Congress must come together to either pass full-year funding or a short-term measure to keep our government running, protect our country, and prevent Americans from being cut off from important government services. It’s wrong, and Congress shouldn’t let it happen. You can also share these posts on Social Media to show your support for federal employees.