EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A possible federal government shutdown could affect thousands of El Pasoans.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, shared her thoughts and the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank is preparing for the possibility of a shutdown, beginning at midnight on Saturday.
That’s if no agreement is reached about federal government spending.
The shutdown could leave more than 20,000 federal employees in El Paso without a paycheck, along with soldiers at Fort Bliss.
“And the question is why? Why? Why won’t the Republicans pass their budget bills? Why won’t that avert a shutdown?” Escobar said.
Escobar told KTSM the U.S. House has only passed one appropriations bill with a dozen left over.
Escobar said it’s not just the House of Representatives that funds the government. It’s the House, Senate and the White House, coming to an agreement, she said.
“In El Paso if you’re a federal employee, that means that you will not get paid. That’s 21,000 people in El Paso. That is going to have an impact, not just on these employees’ ability to pay their own bills, but it’s going to have an impact on small businesses. It’s going to have an impact on education,” Escobar said.
Susan Goodell, CEO of the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank, said they too are trying to prepare for what’s next as they have only 26 days worth of food at the present time.
“The numbers are astronomical when, you add in all of the families and contractors that are dependent on the federal government for their livelihood,” Goodell said.
To see a list of resources Escobar and her staff have compiled to help you cope with a potential shutdown, click here.
To find out information on the food bank, click here.
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