Politics & Government

Rhode Islanders to Feel Shutdown's Impact

Food stamps, child care services and small business assistance could all be canceled or delayed if the federal government shutdown is prolonged.

More than 7,000 Rhode Islanders are out of work.

Small businesses struggling to make payroll are unable to seek assistance to pay workers or keep their doors open.

Nearly 200,000 people in the state who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may see their cupboards go bare.

While politicians bicker among themselves in Washington, their constituents back at home are paying the price. As of midnight, Tuesday, the federal government shut down, the victim of a faction of the Republican party attempting to derail the Affordable Care Act, a bill that has been passed by Congress, signed into law and upheld by the Supreme Court. The affects of the shutdown are spread across the country, including in Rhode Island, a state that gets more than 25 percent of its annual budget (about $2.6 billion) from the federal government. 

The immediate impacts on Rhode Island are mostly absorbed by federal government employees and small businesses. More than 7,000 Rhode Islanders working for the federal government are facing furloughs, wondering when they will get their next paycheck. Another 800 employees at the Newport Naval base have also been sent home.

More than 23,000 small businesses in the state have lost access to the Small Business Administration, which last year provided more than $87 million in loans to help local businesses keep their doors open.

The affects on Rhode Islanders will only grow if the federal shutdown is prolonged, according to Frederick Sneesby, spokesman for the state Department of Human Services. In the near-term those receiving food assistance will continue to receive benefits, but likely only for about three weeks.

If the shutdown continues past that time, food stamps may be canceled, forcing more than 180,000 Rhode Islanders to go hungry; child care services may be unavailable, preventing parents of young children from going to work; and RI Works, cash assistance for out-of-work Rhode Islanders, could run dry, Sneesby said.

Additionally, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program benefits will be delayed just in time for the cold weather, new applications for Social Security benefits will not be taken, veterans benefits would likely be delayed and national parks like the Roger Williams Memorial in Providence are shut down.

All four of Rhode Island's federal representatives have issued statements decrying the shutdown and urging Congressional leaders to get the country back to work. Reps. James Langevin and David Cicilline laid blame for the shutdown directly at the feet of Republicans who are allowing the gpvernment to shut down because of the Tea Party's opposition to the Affordable Care Act.

"If Speaker (John) Boehner cared as much about solving this problem as he did about protecting his own job, we would not be facing a shutdown," Cicilline said. "Instead, he’s once again yielding to demands from the Tea Party members of his Republican caucus who haven’t done a single thing over the last three years to work with Democrats to put our country back to work. Lurching from crisis to crisis because you won’t stand up to extremists in your own party is no way to govern."

Who do you blame for the government shutdown? Are you directly affected by the Congressional standoff? Tell us in the comments section below. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here