Furloughed Employees Continue to Feel the Heat as Shutdown Drags On

Virginia Beach, VA – With over 147,000 civilian federal employees, Virginia is among the most affected states by the ongoing government shutdown. Currently at 38 days, this is the longest shutdown in our country’s history, surpassing the record set during the last shutdown, which occurred under Trump’s first presidency.

"I experienced furlough in 2018, I recall the constant anxiety of making ends meet," said Charles W. Robinson, an Army Veteran and Isle of Wight resident. "When Congress fails to prioritize, it's the hardworking government employees—who ensure Social Security, veterans' benefits, and public services—who suffer, wondering when they'll return to work. This impacts entire communities, especially like Hampton Roads, where critical government work is done. Rep. Kiggans ignored the DOGE cuts and their impact on her constituents, and has offered no guidance to unpaid workers for navigating this difficult time. Our Founders designed a system for negotiation, and she’s refused to urge Republican leadership to negotiate. This shutdown has gone on too long, Rep. Kiggans. It's time to reopen, support government workers and families. Do your job and tell Mike Johnson to bring Congress back and solve this crisis."

“Earlier this year, Rep. Kiggans wasn’t concerned when DOGE started cutting jobs across the board,” said Emily Yeatts, Affordable Virginia Campaigns Director. “Now furloughed employees are filing for unemployment, and food pantry lines are getting longer. People have missed two paychecks, SNAP has been left hanging in the balance, while Rep. Kiggans just repeats the same lines over and over again without taking action. We are urging Rep. Kiggans to show up for her constituents, make the health care tax credits permanent, and open the government.”