WASHINGTON, D.C. – Through its recently launched comment drive, “Gridlock Hurts Real People: Tell Senate Democrats to End the Shutdown”, Independent Women has so far mobilized 500 American citizens to share their stories and comments to send a clear message to Congress about the real harm Americans are experiencing because of the government shutdown.
In a Washington Post op-ed titled “Here’s what the Americans being hurt by the shutdown are saying”, Patrice Onwuka, director of Independent Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity, wrote, in part:
“Furloughs, layoffs and lost pay destabilize American households. Even if the shutdown ends soon, and I hope it will, it may already be too late to prevent lasting economic damage to many households. But Congress — and especially Senate Democrats — can still stop the hardship from metastasizing. I hope they will listen to the voices of people feeling the pain.”
Onwuka’s op-ed highlights a handful of real stories through Independent Women’s comment drive of seniors, military spouses, and mothers who are losing patience with the political games that are causing their families to suffer.
Gridlock Hurts Real People: Tell Senate Democrats to End the Shutdown
Launched on October 9, Independent Women activated its network to submit personal testimonies as selfie videos or written comments to expose the devastating fallout from the ongoing government shutdown. The open-box comment drive serves to amplify the voices of parents, veterans, workers, and taxpayers who are at risk of losing access to essential programs and paychecks due to the fallout of the government shutdown.
A couple of the personal testimonies include:
“My son and his family are military and rely on regular paycheck to meet financial obligations, rent, insurance and groceries. Please stop acting like the government is in crisis requiring a shut down. This is selfish abuse of power to meet your political goals of extending the Covid emergency expansion of ACA, expired and already extended once. We’re not stupid. I was a Democrat until you decided to represent an over-reaching agenda into social engineering. STOP IT!” – Marisela F.
“As a senior, whose husband is a Veteran, this impacts things we use often. Services available are closed. Travel plans are greatly impacted. Negatively. I find it beyond unacceptable that democrats revel in the real pain American citizens suffer as they fight ‘tooth and nail’ for non citizens. At 71 years old, I grew up in a time when my USA citizenship was sacred. As with everything they touch, the democrats have polluted even that. Stop fighting for non citizens and fight for the American citizens. Open up OUR government.” – Lorna A.
Independent Women will continue to call on Americans to speak up and share their stories—the number is expected to significantly rise in the weeks to come as more families go without paychecks and lose access to benefits they rely on.
- How Women and Families Could Be Affected by a Government Shutdown
- Shutdown Update: Tariff Money will Keep Poor Women and Children from Going Hungry
- When Washington Shuts Down, Veterans Pay the Price
- Another Casualty of Senate Democrats: Shutdown Halts U.S. Jobs Report
- Shutdown Update: Mass Layoffs at Four Federal Agencies
- Shutdown Update: Oh SNAP! Food Benefits Will Run Out Next Week
Click here to view the comment drive.
For media inquiries or booking requests, please email [email protected].
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