December 21st, 2018...a week before Christmas, and already seems like a lifetime ago, right? To those affected by the current US federal government shutdown, that couldn't be more true.
Is the government shutdown now officially the longest on record? Yep..there are currently an estimated 800,000 government workers without pay. "Under existing rules, furloughed federal employees may collect unemployment benefits provided they return them once the federal government reimburses them for unpaid work" (Politico, 2019). Today marks day 28 of the government shutdown and there is no end in sight, as negotiation talks are still at a standstill (Forbes, 2019).
Is our FIT4MOM community affected? Yes.
According to The Balance, here are the major departments shut down:
- Commerce, except National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Education
- Energy. Functions that oversee the safety of the nation's nuclear arsenal, dams, and transmission lines remain open.
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Food and Drug Administration
- Health and Human Services
- Housing and Urban Development
- Interior, including National Parks
- Internal Revenue Service, except those processing tax returns
- Labor, including Bureau of Labor Statistics
- NASA
- National Institute of Health
- Smithsonian
With over 300 franchise locations throughout the United States, our mamas and their partners/spouses/families are directly affected by the government shutdown and current furlough. So, one of our franchisees is doing something about it...