Shutdown Information

January 25, 2019

This unnecessary shutdown has been frustrating and unfair for people and families who are not receiving paychecks.

But while the shutdown continues, I want to make sure residents of the 8^th District had access to many of the resources that can help them during this difficult time. Local organizations and governments have made themselves available to furloughed employees and their families. This is not an exhaustive list, but I hope that it helps.

I am doing everything I can to get this shutdown to end, including voting over 10 times to reopen the government. This is not a responsible way to govern, and federal employees should not have their jobs and pay held hostage like this.

How the State is helping (from Governor Inslee's office):

There are nearly 16,000 Washingtonians affected by the partial federal shutdown, including both furloughed and non-furloughed employees. At the Governor's direction, the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) is using its authority to adopt an emergency rule declaring these federal employees to be "unemployed" for the purposes of the state's unemployment insurance program.

This rule will immediately allow ESD to begin providing unemployment benefits.
- This includes TSA agents, Coast Guard personnel, border patrol agents, food safety inspectors, FBI agents, and many others in public safety.
Individuals who receive unemployment benefits during the partial federal shutdown will have to repay those benefits once the government reopens.
- All impacted federal workers will be able to file their claims by going to the ESD website:

More information from the Governor's Office:

How local communities are helping

King County library 211 system