Customs and Border Patrol employee Youssef Fawaz could soon be faced with a gut-wrenching decision if the partial government shutdown persists: Choosing between putting…
Customs and Border Patrol employee Youssef Fawaz could soon be faced with a gut-wrenching decision if the partial government shutdown persists: Choosing between putting food on the table for his family and paying his mortgage.
Fawaz, who participated in a listening session Friday hosted by a handful of congressional leaders at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and others shared their personal stories of how the shutdown has directly impacted them and their ability to do their jobs.
The federal government shutdown, which entered its 21st day Friday, is on track to eclipse the record of the longest lapse in federal funding. Employees from various facets of the government said it has had a significant impact on their lives.
«I have a five-month-old at home and it’s really come down to making a determination of: Are we buying diapers and formula next month or are we paying the mortgage next month?» Fawaz said in an interview with the Free Press. «I’ve run into some issues with my creditors and explaining my situation. They’re all understanding… but they don’t have an answer for me. You still have to pay your mortgage.»
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The listening session was held by U. S. Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn; Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township; Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly; Rashida Tlaib D-Detroit, and Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Members of Congress heard from TSA agents, members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and other workers experiencing economic uncertainty caused by the shutdown.
In total, about 800,000 federal employees across the country have been forced to go on unpaid leave or work without pay since Dec. 22 because of the shutdown, prompted by President Donald Trump’s demands that Congress fund a wall at the southern border. Of that, about 6,300 federal workers are furloughed or working without pay in Michigan.
Trump is demanding that Congress include $5.7 billion for the wall, saying it is needed to keep undocumented immigrants from crossing into the U. S. illegally and has refused to consider any appropriations to keep the federal government running that do not include that demand. Democrats, who now have the majority in the U.
