Government shutdown affects student’s finances, families and summer job hunting
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published prior to the governmentreopening. The story has been edited to be up to date.
The United States just experienced the longest government shutdown in history, and the effects are not only being felt nationwide, but also right here in Logan, Utah. Many Utah State students are directly connected to or have someone close to them who relies on the federal government.
Dillan Passmore, journalism and political science major, works as a data consultant in his free time for the National Endowment for the Humanities. As a unofficial employee, he reviews grant information, develops strategies to help clean up the grant-making process, provides suggestions to higher up management, and communicates with members of congress. Passmore has been working remotely for this agency since May, but all his projects came to a standstill when the shutdown began.
“Right now, from my understanding, currently everyone within the agency is furloughed. Kind of of just stashed away because they are not considered necessary to the absolute function of the government,” Passmore said. As far as he knows, there were only three people working for the agency, a “miniscule part” of the original staff.
Passmore works another job as well, so the shutdown didn’t hinder his ability to live, but he understands the effects it had on other federal employees.
“That’s a long time for a lot of people to go without pay, considering a lot of Americans don’t really save,” Passmore said. “It is these people’s livelihoods that are in the balance.”
Students in Logan seeking jobs that are connected to the Federal Government found it increasingly difficult with the shutdown. Kevin Tso, forestry ecology management major, has previously worked as a wildland firefighter. He wanted to do the job again this summer, but the application process has been difficult because many organizations that hire firefighters are connected to the Federal Government.
“I was excited to put in applications for this upcoming season. Fire hiring is really complex and frustrating; to have the shutdown happen just adds more frustration to the hiring process,” Tso said. “There is a lot of loops you have to get through. You have to make calls, and get your name out to where you want to work. I can’t do that with the shutdown because nobody is working.”
Luckily, Tso was able to find a job for the summer with the state. Tso also explained that although it is not wildfire season, many of these organizations still have work to do during the shutdown.
“I hope the shutdown ends soon because in the winter, there is a lot of off-season work that upper management does as far as training, winter burning, and preparing for the upcoming season,” Tso said. “You wouldn’t think they would be doing a lot of work in the winter, but they do.”
Though not all students work closely with the federal government, many students’ parents have been affected by the shutdown. Jackson Rands is a psychology major whose parents serve at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. Rands’ father is a counternarcotics officer for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; his mother works with Public Affairs, helping lead the Women and Civil Society Unit. Rands’ parents had to continue working during the shutdown because their jobs are deemed “essential for national security.”
“They have been working for free for a month,” Rands said. “They are frugal and they have money saved up so they will be ok. They have to keep going to work like normal and just not get paid for it.”
His parents explained that though they were only doing what was necessary, they were still working six days a week. They are hoping that the diplomatic relationships they have built there are not hurt because of the shutdown.
“When you work for the foreign service, you don’t do it for the money; everyone knows that,” Rands said. “With how qualified you are and what kind of work you do, you could make a lot more in the private sector with a lot less work. It is more so you are serving your country. Foreign service officers don’t do what they do for the money, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to be working for no pay.”
After 35 days of shutdown, the U.S. Government has reached a temporary reopening. The president and congress came to agree on a deal that allowed for a short term spending bill to keep the government open until February 15th. If a new deal is cannot be agreed upon by this date then the government could face another shutdown. For now the U.S. Government will function as usual and federal employees will be receiving back pay.
—shelby.black@aggiemail.usu.edu
@shelbsterblack