With less than 36 hours until the government shuts down thanks to irresponsible actions from Washington Republicans, Senator Reverend Warnock released a fact sheet outlining the consequences of a government shut down on Georgia families, businesses, servicemembers, and more
Senator Reverend Warnock: “I think this chaos that we are witnessing right now is just one example of what happens when politicians, center the politics, rather than the people”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) highlighted the impact of a government down on Georgia families, businesses, servicemembers, farmers, public safety and more. Senator Warnock believes Washington Republicans need to come together with the rest of Congress to fund the government. Georgia businesses are relying on the federal government to stay open and functioning to keep our economy strong, and Georgia’s families and communities are counting on investments and services that will cease if the government shuts down. More importantly, a federal government shutdown will keep Congress from focusing on the issues that matter most: lowering the cost of health care, creating jobs, keeping the nation secure, and more.
“As I move around the state of Georgia, ordinary people scratch their heads watching what is unfolding in Washington D.C. They are trying to figure out how to take care of their families, how to advance their prosperity, and their well-being,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “And I think this chaos that we are witnessing right now is just one example of what happens when politicians, center the politics, rather than the people.”
Read more HERE and below about the government shutdown’s impacts in Georgia:
ON OUR FAMILIES:
- Nutrition Benefits: Roughly 221,000 Georgians—including approximately 50,800 women, 112,600 children, and 57,440 infants—who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) could lose funds to purchase food within a few days of a shutdown.
- Child Care: Also on October 1st, as many as 1,988 Head Start and Early Head Start students (ages 0-5) across Georgia may stop receiving services. The number will increase if the shutdown continues, leaving many low-income working parents on their own to cover child care costs.
- National Parks: Additionally, Georgia’s 11 national parks may close, or have their access limited, including the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and MLK Jr.’s Freedom Hall.
ON THE MILITARY:
- Active Duty: Georgia has roughly 70,000 active duty servicemembers who will show up for work but will not receive a paycheck during a government shutdown. This will impact morale and affect our military’s readiness for future missions.
- Reserves: The 27,000 Reservists and Guardsman in Georgia will very likely have their training during a shutdown canceled or rescheduled, further complicating their work-life balance and negatively affecting their anticipated income or military benefits.
ON OUR VETERANS:
- Jobs: Georgia employs nearly 85,000 federal workers, and over 32% of those workers are veterans. All federal workers risk missing a paycheck if the government is not funded, which means over 27,000 Georgia veterans are at risk of going to work but not receiving pay.
ON OUR FARMERS:
- FSA: Various federally subsidized farm loans will be halted during a government shutdown, potentially harming finances for countless Georgia farmers who count on funding from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and other federal agriculture programs to make ends meet and cultivate their products. FSA will also pause disaster assistance programs currently helping some Georgia farmers recover.
ON PUBLIC SAFETY
- Policing: Federal law enforcement, which numbers over 130,000 nationally, will largely be required to work without pay during a government shutdown, and a lack of funding could also undermine the ability of federal agencies to continue participating in federal-state-local law enforcement task forces—including those working on human trafficking investigations, to disrupt terrorist operations, and cracking down on drug violations.
ON AIR TRAVEL
- TSA: In Georgia—home to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the world’s busiest airport—a government shutdown would mean that 1,727 local Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Agents would be required to work without pay, which during previous government shutdowns has led to significant delays and longer wait times for travelers at airports across the country.
- Air Traffic Control: Additionally, approximately 577 Air Traffic Controllers in Georgia will be working without pay during a government shutdown, which would also halt air traffic controller training—potentially leading to long-term air travel disruptions.
ON SMALL BUSINESSES
- Capital Lending: Georgia small businesses would lose out on roughly $5,494,100 in financing every day the government is shutdown, because a government shutdown would force the Small Business Administration (SBA) to stop processing new business loans for small businesses.
ON DISASTER RECOVERY:
- FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) continues to dwindle and is now forced to prioritize only immediate lifesaving and life-sustaining operations. During a government shutdown there are 10 disaster recovery projects in Georgia that could be further delayed due to a lack of federal disaster funding.
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