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Jonathan Giba has resided in temporary housing for homeless veterans within a West Virginia hospital for former U.S. military members for the past three months.
He awaits medical and dental consultations, necessitated after previously prescribed medications resulted in tooth loss and mobility impairment. The ongoing government shutdown threatens to further delay his treatment.
He characterizes the situation as “political bs.” While the U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia, where Mr. Giba is staying continues to provide medical care, the VA has suspended other programs that assist veterans in finding employment and transitioning from military service.
“The shutdown is a waste of time, and it hurts everyone in the meantime,” the Army veteran stated.
Martinsburg, West Virginia, is an American town particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the U.S. government shutdown.
Located approximately 85 miles (136km) outside of Washington D.C., this city of nearly 20,000 residents relies on federal agencies that employ over 3,300 individuals in the area, including the veterans’ hospital, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) processing facility, and an agricultural assistance office.
An additional thousand or so federal employees commute daily to the nation’s capital from the Amtrak station in downtown Martinsburg.
This region leans politically conservative, with 67% of voters supporting the president in 2024, and a strong sense of independence fosters a pragmatic “make-it-work” attitude.
Due to the government shutdown, the Freedom’s Run Race Series, a local community event, rerouted its course away from trails near a federal Civil War battlefield site but proceeded as planned. Harper’s Ferry, a national park and popular tourist destination in the vicinity, has remained open due to state funding.
However, the political disputes in Washington and a perceived lack of concern for average Americans are prevalent in people’s thoughts, and there is growing anxiety about the potential consequences as the shutdown persists.
On an unusually warm Monday, nearly six days into the U.S. government shutdown, Mr. Giba sits in the shade of a large tree, chain-smoking cigarettes with fellow veterans.
One of them, Troy Williams, asserts that politics are harming ordinary Americans. “This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue,” he says, “this is a why aren’t they working on a solution issue.”
Air Force veteran Marcellus Brothers expresses concern about the future. “We’re in limbo, it’s scary.”
Republicans and Democrats have been at an impasse over government funding since it expired on October 1, leading to a partial government shutdown and the furlough of over 700,000 federal employees. Approximately 200,000 additional workers deemed “essential” are working without pay as the political stalemate continues.
Politicians in Washington have been assigning blame to the opposing party. On Friday, the White House initiated the layoff of thousands of federal employees.
In a state already impacted by job reductions resulting from the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce, the shutdown poses a threat of even greater losses, warns Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.
“We have more federal government employees than coal miners in West Virginia,” she states. “Of course those jobs are well paying, come with good benefits and in a state with not a whole lot of good paying jobs those are really important.”
Tina Hissam, a small business employee in the area, has personally observed the impact of government shutdowns on her neighbors.
“It hurts the small businesses, they may cancel services, they may not shop locally,” she says of federal workers. “The government shutdown has a huge impact and it’s really scary, I just pray that it all goes away.”
A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) service center, serving the seven surrounding counties, has already closed its doors.
The office, responsible for assisting farmers, ranchers, and landowners with tasks such as applying for farm loans and disaster assistance, will remain closed until the government reopens.
And on Wednesday, the IRS furloughed 34,000 workers, so the service center in Martinsburg may soon be affected.
Historical precedent indicates that as shutdowns persist, more services are reduced or suspended due to funding shortages.
West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito has remained steadfast despite the potential impact on areas she represents, such as Martinsburg. She has voted with fellow Republicans to provide government funding without the healthcare subsidies favored by Democrats. Both sides’ proposals have repeatedly failed.
In a local op-ed, Moore Capito acknowledged that West Virginia has the third-highest number of federal employees per capita in the country, but attributed the situation to Democrats’ inflexibility.
“These are our neighbours and friends – people who keep our miners safe, process veterans’ benefits, secure our borders, and keep drugs out of our communities. They’re now facing uncertainty about their pay cheques through no fault of their own.”
The arrival of the first paychecks since the shutdown – or the absence thereof – on Friday may finally bring the impact home.
In previous shutdowns, federal workers who experienced pay disruptions were eventually granted back pay, but it remains uncertain whether that will be the case this time.
“The economic loss could have wide-ranging consequences on local communities, businesses and households. It could cause long-term damage to local economies,” resident Mark Mulligan observes.
“West Virginia is a poor state and dependent on federal jobs and handouts. The pain to the elderly, the disabled and to children could be catastrophic.”
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