Federal Shutdown Forces Families to Make Tough Financial Choices
Stephanie Rogers, a dedicated microbiologist with the Food and Drug Administration for the past 16 years, finds herself among the many federal employees currently furloughed due to the ongoing government shutdown. As a chapter president with the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Rogers is no stranger to the challenges that come with federal employment uncertainties.
Recently, Rogers made the strategic decision to move in with her mother south of Denver along with her two daughters. The escalating cost of living played a significant role in this move. “When you added up the numbers between both of our family households, it was going to be something that we could not keep going long term,” Rogers explains. As a divorced mother without child support, this was a necessary step to ensure financial stability.
The decision to consolidate households was also influenced by the current administration’s intent to downsize the government and Rogers’ previous experience during the 2018 federal shutdown. “And we’re living in that reality now,” she states. “And so that is our decision, to just make sure all of us survive this process.”
Preparing for Financial Insecurity
Reflecting on her experience during the last shutdown, which extended for 35 days between 2018 and 2019, Rogers acknowledges she was “utterly unprepared” at the time. Determined not to repeat that scenario, she took proactive measures as the deadline for the current funding lapse loomed. She scheduled medical appointments and secured early refills of her daughters’ medications.
Rogers also made the difficult decision to withdraw from her retirement funds, acknowledging the tax implications this will have next year. “I had to pull out of my retirement, which has some tax consequences for next year,” she notes. To further stretch her finances, she requested leniency with her car payments and reconsidered her daughters’ extracurricular activities due to their additional costs.
Adding to the financial strain, Rogers recently experienced a freezer malfunction, leading to the loss of stored meat, a critical food supply for her family. In response, she applied for state unemployment benefits, a common recourse for furloughed federal employees. However, these benefits must be repaid once the shutdown concludes and retroactive pay is issued.
Facing an Uncertain Future
Despite a 2019 law mandating backpay for federal workers, President Trump has suggested that some employees might not receive it. He has also indicated the possibility of mass terminations during the shutdown, a move that has already begun according to his administration. Furthermore, Trump’s plans to cut “Democrat programs” add to the uncertainty without clarification on which programs are targeted.
“It feels terrible,” Rogers admits. “I don’t know if I even have a job when I walk away from this, much less if I will get paid. Do I have health insurance if we don’t get back pay? It’s a really hard place to be in when you have children who rely on you.”
Rogers emphasizes the importance of the work performed by federal employees, such as food inspections, which may be undervalued until absent. With ongoing stress from layoffs and funding cuts across the government, many employees are overworked and underappreciated.
Her family’s concerns are palpable. “My mother worries about [it] constantly. My daughter has woken up and said, ‘Does mommy have a job today?’ We don’t know what our future looks like,” she shares. Despite her passion for her current role, Rogers has begun searching for opportunities outside the federal sector as a precaution.
