Katherine Clark: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for holding this important Special Order hour. It is so important that we tell…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for holding this important Special Order hour. It is so important that we tell the stories of the very real impact of this shutdown, and I appreciate her giving us that opportunity. I do want to share some of the stories from my district. We recently heard from Emily, who is a TSA agent at Logan Airport and a single mom of three. She hasn't received her paycheck. She won't be getting one tomorrow and is worried about falling behind on rent and childcare payments. She has to stay current with childcare or she loses her children's spots. She said: ``I don't know how I'm going to make this work. If I don't get paid, how can I afford to send my children to daycare?'' She has $400 left in her bank account. Then there is Donna from Revere. She has been employed at her job for the last 22 years but doesn't know where her next meal will come from without a paycheck to rely on. Donna said: ``I have to choose between buying food or paying a bill.'' We received a call from a retired Federal employee in Natick. She lives in affordable housing and is required to prove her income to renew her lease. She cannot obtain a statement from OPM regarding her pension because they are closed, jeopardizing her living situation. Sandy called us. She owns a startup in Cambridge that almost exclusively contracts with DOD and DHS. This is a small business, and they are struggling to keep up with payroll as the checks stopped coming.…”