Shutdown Hurts Local Economies as Federal Workers Wait for Pay

Washington, D.C.—Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued the following statement from Jill Homan, Deputy Director of Trade & Economy Policy and Campaign Director, regarding the ongoing government shutdown and its impact on local economies:

“Every day the government remains shut down, local economies across America feel the strain. From Virginia to Utah, thousands of federal employees are waiting for paychecks that support their families—and the small businesses in their communities are paying the price. Restaurants, dry cleaners, childcare centers, and mom-and-pop shops that rely on federal workers’ spending are seeing sales plummet.

While radicals in Congress still collect their taxpayer-funded salaries, hardworking Americans are left wondering how to pay rent, cover groceries, or keep their businesses open. These misplaced priorities—holding up paychecks for American workers to push taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens—show just how out of touch Washington has become.

Radicals in Congress must reopen the government, pay the workers who keep this nation running, and restore the flow of commerce in communities nationwide. It’s time to put working families first—not political agendas.”