VOICE FOR EVERYONE | Share your voice with KSHB 41’s Claire Bradshaw
As a government shutdown looms, federal employees like Kansas Citian Daniel Scharpenburg are worried they won't receive their next paycheck on time.
Scharpenburg works for the IRS and is the first vice president of the local chapter of the National Treasury Employee Union. He worked through the 2019 shutdown that lasted 35 days. It went on for so long that he had to get a temporary job and is considering doing the same this time around.
“I have four kids. So, it's a real burden on me personally if there's a government shutdown because I have four kids, because you know, two of my kids have orthodontist bills, right? So it's a real struggle for me if there's a shutdown,” Scharpenburg said.
He said he isn't alone. He heard from other union members that they are panicked a shutdown could be disastrous for their families. He said many of them live paycheck to paycheck, so while there would be back pay, it wouldn’t be soon enough.
“It becomes too long when we miss a paycheck. So if ... we were shut down and just shut down next week, it might not hurt us that bad, except for the emotional toll it takes on us. The uncertainty is really a hard thing to struggle with,” Scharpenburg said.
The union has already planned a rally for 1 p.m. on Oct. 4 if the government shuts down. If necessary, the rally will be held outside the IRS building on Pershing Road.
Scharpenburg said he won't leave his job to find one with more stability because he believes in public service.
“I've been with the agency for 15 years and that's hard for to walk away from, but I believe in public service. I believe in doing the work for this nation,” Scharpenburg said. “People are not telling their family to come work for the government and that used to be what happened. People are looking for other jobs because suddenly they feel like this job is not secure.”
The government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday if Congress does not pass a federal budget or a continuing resolution.
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