Government Shutdown Update

The federal government has been shut down for more than two weeks with no end in sight. The effects continue to be felt nationwide. There is even talk of the possibility that this shutdown could last longer than the one before, which was 35 days under President Trump’s first term. 

There are 18,000 federal employees working in Minnesota who are facing furloughs, layoffs, work without pay and threats of being fired. Keeping abreast of this situation continues to be a priority for MAPE as we work to defend those members’ rights.      

More than 100 workers in the Disability Determination Services (DDS) are deemed “essential,” and the State of Minnesota has guaranteed payment of their salaries through Oct. 27. MAPE leaders, members and staff worked to pressure Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) to extend the guaranteed payments from Oct. 7 to Oct. 27. In all previous shutdowns, MMB has guaranteed DDS’ paychecks throughout the shutdown and was later reimbursed by the federal government as the law requires. DDS workers review and approve disability applications for the Social Security Administration.  

Currently, 9,300 Minnesotans are awaiting disability determinations, and nearly 6,000 more are waiting for their claims to be assigned to adjudicators.  

Lisa Becker, a disability specialist, said even a temporary furlough would be devastating for her clients, “Even though my colleagues and I will be suffering the uncertainties of the government shutdown, our clients will be suffering even more because their disability decisions will be delayed even longer by weeks or months.”  

“People call you crying, and worried about what’s going on in their life. They say no one cares about them. The system has left them behind,” said Melissa Green, disability program adjudicator, who reviews disability status claims for DDS. 

Like many of their colleagues, both Becker and Green are trying to support their families, and the situation will become more difficult if the shutdown continues longer than the Oct. 27 date the State has agreed to temporarily cover their salaries. Green, who has a young daughter with special needs, said, “I don’t know how we would afford to keep her in treatment to continue the process of getting her evaluated and getting her the care that she needs.” 

The federal government shutdown is now forcing the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to begin leveraging contingency plans in case of program impacts. A shutdown means a program could run out of funding, putting MDH employees at risk of layoffs and services at risk of disruption.   

Two areas of work management said it is paying close attention to are Health Regulation work and the Women and Infant Children (WIC) program. MAPE will continue to work closely with agency Meet and Confers, local leaders and MMB to track layoff threats across the state.