2019 Government Shutdown

A MESSAGE FROM SENATOR MARK R. WARNER

UPDATE – 24 January 2019 

Today is the 34^th day of President Trump’s shutdown. Too many federal workers and contractors have now lived through over a month of uncertainty, not knowing how they will feed their families or pay their bills. To make matters worse, hundreds of thousands of workers missed their second paycheck today. Many have dipped into their savings or retirement accounts, and none of them see an end in sight.

Throughout this chaos, I have been in Washington working to get our government back on track. I pushed the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to ensure that federally-connected families do not lose their vision and dental insurance after two missed pay periods, and passed a bill that will give back pay to federal employees as soon as our government reopens.

I also introduced legislation to end future shutdowns, urged the administration to protect the security clearances of affected employees, and wrote to a number of agencies and entities, including the FDA, USDA, Treasury, and WMATA to request information regarding the overall effect that the shutdown has had on our country. Additionally, I asked private banks and childcare providers to provide flexibility to financially strained federal workers.  

I believe our first order of business needs to be reopening the government and paying our workers, and as long as this shutdown lasts, I will keep fighting to do just that. 

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8 January 2019

It is clear that Virginians are being hurt by this government shutdown. More than 170,000 federal employees and tens of thousands of government contractors live in our Commonwealth, and in the face of this pointless shutdown, I am determined to make sure Virginians can return to work and that our government gets back on track. 

So far, I have put pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow a vote on bills to reopen the government—bills that have already passed through the House and have had support in the Senate. I will continue urging the Majority Leader to bring these crucial bills to the floor until the shutdown is over. I have also introduced a bill to make sure that federal workers who have been furloughed receive back pay as soon as the government reopens, and I am working with several of my colleagues on a bill to secure back pay for the hardworking federal contractors who have also gone unpaid during this shutdown. These workers include janitors, security guards, and cafeteria staff – many of whom were already living paycheck to paycheck prior to the government shutdown.

Additionally, when it became clear that an underfunded and understaffed IRS would not be able to issue tax refunds, which many families depend on, I pressed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for answers on how Virginia’s taxpayers would be affected by the shutdown.

The President may be ‘proud’ of this shutdown, but I see it for what it is – an unnecessary tactic that hurts families across the country.

I will continue fighting to ensure that Virginia’s workers are not used as bargaining chips and that families everywhere can regain financial stability. In the meantime, federal employees and contractors affected by the shutdown can find some useful resources below. You can also share your thoughts on the shutdown using the form below.

Sincerely, 

Resources for Workers Affected by the Federal Shutdown

Federal Credit Union

• Providing short term/reduced rate furlough loans
• Waiving withdrawal penalties
• Allowing loan holders to skip a payment Refinancing auto loans

Congressional Federal Credit Union

• Providing a relief line of credit
• Granting personal loans
• Increasing the limit on lines of credit
• Deferring payments on existing loans
• Waiving early certificate withdrawal penalties
• Suspending automatic payments, transfers and DBOs
• Offering financial coaching

Office of Personnel Management Resources

• Shutdown Furlough Guidance
• Unemployment Insurance Questions and Answers for Federal Workers
• Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees Fact Sheet
• Quick Reference Table of State Unemployment Insurance Laws
• Map of State Unemployment Insurance Websites
• Federal Identification Code (FIC) Chart.

Commonwealth of Virginia Government

• Assistance filing for unemployment insurance benefits - Furloughed employees can visit this webpage or call the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) at 1-866-832-2363. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

State of Maryland Government

• Assistance filing for unemployment insurance benefits - Furloughed employees can visit this webpage or call the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance at 410-853-1700. The hotline for furloughed employees is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 2:00 p.m. Furloughed contractors can visit this webpage or call 1-877-293-4125. This hotline is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

District of Columbia Government

• Assistance filing for unemployment insurance benefits - Furloughed employees can visit this webpage or call the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) at 202-478-5937. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Financial Institutions:

• Bank of America: Those affected by the shutdown may call (844) 219-0690 to speak with a representative about options that may be available to them.
• Chase: Those affected by the shutdown may call 1-888-356-0023 to speak with a representative about options that may be available to them.
• Citi: Those affected by the shutdown may call 1-800-374-9700 to speak with a representative about options that may be available to them.
• Wells Fargo: Those affected by the shutdown may call 800-219-9739 to speak with a representative about options that may be available to them.
• Navy Federal Credit Union: Those affected by the shutdown may call 1-888-842-6328 to speak with a representative about options that may be available to them.
• US Bank: Those affected by the shutdown may call (877) 760-6046 to speak with a representative about options that may be available to them.

 Additional Resources