Congressman Thompson Releases Statement on Looming Government Shut Down

BOLTON, MISSISSIPPI – Today, United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) released the following statement:

“This looming government shutdown, planned by House Republicans, will hit working-class families hard. In Mississippi alone, 21,405 federal workers would be furloughed or forced to work without pay, in addition to the many employees of businesses with government contracts who could be laid off, furloughed, or see their hours cut. Essential services that folks count on daily will cease, our already shaky economy will take another hit, and our national security will be at risk. Communities and families who have been devastated by the many tornadoes that have ripped through our state will experience additional delays for housing and basic resources due to the proposed shut down. Instead of rolling up their sleeves and finding ways to help American families, House Republicans are busy cutting funds to crucial programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Title 1. This shutdown isn’t just unnecessary; it’s harmful, and communities everywhere will feel the impact.”

If House Republicans Shut Down The Government Mississippians will fill the following affects:

30,928 active duty and reserve personnel serving our nation's armed forces in Mississippi would be forced to go without the pay they earn during a shutdown.

The Small Business Administration would stop processing small business loans, halting a program that provides $200,395,500 in funding to small businesses in Mississippi every year.

2,033 people flying through Mississippi airports every day would face potential delays and safety concerns due to staffing impacts on TSA agents and air traffic controllers.

62,788 people in Mississippi would soon lose access to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits.

Workers at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be sidelined, risking interruptions and delays to the 74 food safety, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other inspections conducted in Mississippi last year.

The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing housing loans, which provide $412,777,420 in funding to help 2,663 families in rural Mississippi communities buy homes every year.

The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing farm loans which provide $71,537,000 in funding for farmers in Mississippi every year.

390,471 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries in Mississippi would lose access to benefits in a prolonged shutdown.

6,895,441 people who visit national parks in Mississippi every year would be turned away or unable to fully access parks, monuments, and museums.

State governments would be forced to pay for federal services like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, potentially risking benefits for the 2,556 TANF beneficiaries in Mississippi.