Shannon Ellis, 59, has enjoyed her work for the Internal Revenue Service for more than 20 years, the last eight as the president of the National Treasury Employees Union in Kansas City. The union represents thousands of IRS workers in the area.
Ellis has lived through two government shutdowns. This one feels different. Worse.
“There's plans when (you know) something's going to be short term,” she said. “It's a little different this time. You go into this not knowing how long things are going to last.”
While everyone on the IRS staff is working despite the shutdown, the uncertainty is distressing. Ellis said many federal workers live paycheck to paycheck, and a federal shutdown puts financial burdens on workers who are considered essential. They are required to go into work, or risk losing their job.
“These employees are still expected to work without pay and while they're doing this, they have to continue to put gas in the car to get there," she said. “They have to continue to put food on their table and pay their medical bills and child care.”
According to the Mid-America Regional Council, the federal government employs almost 30,000 people in the Kansas City area, the largest employer in the region. The inability of congressional Republicans and Democrats to reach an agreement on a budget by midnight Wednesday triggered a government shutdown that left dozens of federal offices, agencies and institutions either shuttered or limited in their services.
Ellis said federal workers are guaranteed furlough pay according to the law but will struggle with day-to-day living. She is currently working with food banks to provide resources to federal worker families.
“We're trying to set up maybe Harvesters or other food drive events in the event that this does go long-term like the last one,” Ellis said.
Here are some of the local impacts of the shutdown:
- The National Archives and Records Administration is closed. From the agency's Facebook page: “All National Archives events — virtual or in person — are canceled until further notice. We will be unable to reply to messages or emails until the government reopens.”
- Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, operated by the National Archives in Independence, will remain closed until the government reopens.
- Social Security offices remain open, and recipients will continue to receive checks, but the agency will continue issuing cards and holding appointments for benefit application, taking death reports and citizenship verifications.
- The Kansas City VA Medical Center with the Veterans Administration remains open but many assistance programs are closed or limited. Closed are call centers for the GI Bill and regional benefits offices.
Impact in Kansas
In Kansas, the impact of the federal government shutdown spans the state but for many industries, there remains a lot of uncertainty. What was clear to state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle is that the longer the shutdown lasts, the more state services might be at risk.
“Kansans are already feeling the effects of the administration’s reckless policies — rising prices, lost jobs, and cuts to essential services like health care,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids said in a statement shortly after the government shut down.
Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran expressed similar sentiments earlier Tuesday on the chamber floor, saying a shutdown means “dysfunction.”
Over 17,000 federal civilian employees across Kansas will have their paychecks frozen. As a result, many national parks and historic sites will be unattended, although some may remain open to the public.
The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene is closed. So is the Brown v. Board of Education Historical Park in Topeka, Kansas.
About 20,000 active duty service members can also expect to lose pay throughout the shutdown. That could lead to a trickle-down effect for Kansas towns near military installations, including Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth and McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita.
Kansas farmers also face several uncertainties, as payments from some federal programs are in limbo. In addition, nearly half of the U.S. Department of Agriculture employees will be furloughed, and many offices will be closed.
During the last two shutdowns, the USDA did not publish its monthly crop reports. This comes at an inconvenient time as Midwest farmers are in harvest season.
Since the shutdown coincides with the start of the fiscal year, the food assistance program for Women Infants and Children, or WIC, will likely run out of funds in October. That means Kansas will need to rely on its own funding streams to keep that afloat. WIC serves about 44,000 Kansas residents in 102 counties.
SNAP benefits should last until at least November — about 187,000 people in Kansas participate in this program.
In response, food banks are bracing for increased demand from struggling families. Harvesters Food Network, which serves Northeast Kansas, told KSHB they are working to stock shelves in preparation.
Researchers at the University of Kansas will also be well protected. In a letter, Shelley Hooks, vice chancellor for research, said they have enough cash reserves to pay personnel. Most federally funded projects will continue.
“The KU research community has managed through previous government shutdowns, and we are well-prepared to handle most scenarios,” Hooks said.
