A handful of union members from the American Federation of Government Employees, joined by U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, and Wesley Bell, D-St. Louis County stood outside a federal courthouse in East St. Louis on Thursday with a message for President Donald Trump:
End the federal government shutdown and ensure that people get paid for their work.
The U.S. government shut down for the first time since 2018 early Wednesday after Congress failed to pass a spending agreement. As a result, thousands of federal workers and active-duty service members have been furloughed or forced to work without pay. More than 25,000 people in the St. Louis metropolitan area are federal employees, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Several government entities have been impacted by the shutdown.
Congressional Republicans want a so-called “clean” continuing resolution that would fund the government for several weeks so that negotiations could continue on a longer-term agreement. Democrats are pushing for an agreement that would extend tax credits for healthcare plans under the Affordable Care Act. Without that extension, experts say premiums would skyrocket for next year.
Nurses from the Veterans Administration, Social Security administrators, TSA agents and park rangers — all members of the AFGE union — stood in front of the U.S. District Court on Missouri Avenue in East St. Louis on Thursday.
April Williams, a registered nurse at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in St. Louis and a member of AFGE Local 96, said the government pause is having a negative impact on those trying to take care of their families.
“These shutdowns do not affect just employees; they disrupt the lives of countless citizens who rely on federal services, including veterans,” Williams said. “Many of my colleagues are not highly paid; we live paycheck to paycheck. We have to pay our bills, we have daycare expenses and other essential needs.
“When the government shuts down, American families pay the price. Congress needs to come together to end this government shutdown and ensure that stable funding is available for these federal services.”
VA-certified addictions treatment nurse and AFGE member Daniel Szyman noted Thursday that he is a father of three and husband to a public school teacher. He said federal workers take pride in their work.
“We want to work. We want to serve our nation,” Szyman said. “Missing one paycheck can be devastating to federal workers and their families.”
Congressman Bell echoed those sentiments, adding that people’s family security is being held hostage due to a federal battle of scoring political points.
“The administration is threatening illegal and unprecedented firings of federal workers during this shutdown,” Bells said. “And that's not just wrong — it’s cruel. No law requires this. No past president has ever done this.”
Williams gave a rallying cry during Thursday’s small gathering outside the federal building, and the group of about 15 echoed the sentiment with her:
“When federal workers are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”
Budzinski represents Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, which is home to 11,084 federal workers. She said the cause of the government shutdown is that the Republican-led White House would rather conduct mass firings than make health care more affordable and accessible for all working people.
“Democrats aren't making a big ask here,” Budzinski said. “Our priorities are clear and they are common sense. We are saying this: extend the ACA tax credits that save folks thousands of dollars a year on their health care bill. End your cruel plans to cut Medicaid, and then let’s fund this government."
Since the shutdown, Republicans and Democrats have gone back and forth on who to blame.
