Feds Share Their #ShutdownStories on Twitter

The partial government shutdown that began after funding ran out on midnight Friday is affecting hundreds of thousands of feds in the middle of the winter holiday season. Congress is not set to return to negotiations until Thursday, so many feds took to Twitter to share the stories of their lives during the shutdown over Christmas.

Using the hashtag #shutdownstories, Twitter users—many of them feds—wrote about how the partial shutdown affected their lives. The trending hashtag appears to have been started by @TeaPainUSA, a "humorous" Twitter user with #resistance in his or her bio on the social media network and a username that is both a pun on a rapper and references the Tea Party movement of the earlier part of this decade. @TeaPainUSA, asked for replies with the hashtag in a Sunday night tweet.

If you're bein' affected by the #TrumpShutown, drop Tea Pain a tweet with your story and he'll retweet ya. Use the #ShutdownStories hashtag. Sound good?

— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) December 23, 2018

Some users voiced their frustrations with Washington, while others lamented their dire financial circumstances created by the shutdown. (The Office of Management and Budget noted earlier that paychecks scheduled to go out on Dec. 28 would go out as scheduled.) The hashtag so popular that it was a trending topic on Twitter in the United States for much of Christmas Eve and Twitter featured it as a "Moment."

I have two friends working dangerously short handed at a maximum security federal prison. They’re not having a very merry Christmas due to extreme work and money problems caused by your shutdown. #Trumpresign #ShutdownStories

— Caron Holt (@CaronHolt11) December 25, 2018

We were relying on that paycheck to pay the car payment because I was too sick to work most of the month. Thank you, Mr. President. #ShutdownStories

— Grace Franke (@eskimita01) December 24, 2018

We had a baby two months ago (10/24/18); I have been on unpaid leave since then. Husband works with USFS, is our primary earner. Without his income, I don’t know what we will do. We have enough in savings to cover the mortgage in January, but beyond that... ‍♀️#ShutdownStories pic.twitter.com/2EV4qAXC0C

— Little Sarah (@theSarawithanH) December 24, 2018

#ShutdownStories Last summer, our city was ravaged by the Carr Fire. Whiskeytown Lake (where Carr Fire started) is now unattended. The teams doing recovery work are furloughed. Winter rains and runoff will further damage the rivers, lake and forest. #ThanksTrump

— Belinda McBride (@Belinda_McBride) December 24, 2018

Haven't bought Christmas presents yet, cause we knew this might happen. Cancelled the trip to spend Christmas with family, cause I got leave cancelled.
Got some savings. Got some credit cards if really necessary.
Won't be buying the kid a new laptop for college.#ShutdownStories

— soonergrunt (@soonergrunt) December 25, 2018

My husband is a fire manager with the US Forest Service. He fights western wildfires every year and was scheduled to instruct a 3-week fire training next week. Students from around the world make work and travel arrangements. It’s canceled. Just like last Jan. #ShutdownStories

— Trina Severson (@trinarseverson) December 25, 2018

Furlough exempt, all leave canceled and must report to work. Will be paid but no idea when if this drags out. If we don't report we're placed in furlough for the duration, no guarantee of pay. No, @MarkMeadows, we didn't "sign up" for this. #ShutdownStories

— phallo (@phallock) December 24, 2018

#ShutdownStories Co-worker and I are contractors for the govt. She has NO vacation or sick time left because of illness in family and now, if this goes too long, will have NO paycheck coming in. And my company has no policy to donate leave. I really hate this admin.

— Mary Wilkerson (@marywilkers) December 24, 2018

My husband is federal law enforcement. He had the weekend off but now has to head back to work on Christmas morning with no indication of when/if he will be paid for providing crucial border security. We blame you @realDonaldTrump #ShutdownStories #TrumpShutDown

— Maria Ortega (@shamapoo) December 25, 2018