February 12, 2019: Countdown to Midnight Friday

My posts have dropped off as I’ve returned to the normality of work, receiving back pay, waking up before the sun, etc… However, this week, it hit me that my agency is only funded through 11:59 pm Friday February 15. If Congress and the President are unable to agree on a funding package, we could be looking at yet another partial Government shutdown.

In retrospect, I realize that during the last shutdown, I was in a state of low-level but chronic anxiety. I felt the same feelings coming back yesterday, after hearing news that the negotiations for the border security had broken down. My mood lightened this morning, after a good night’s sleep and the news that the Congressional committee had agreed on a border security bill.

I know that I wasn’t alone. The Washington Post features a countdown to the next shutdown — as I write this, it reads 3 days, 4 hours, 44 minutes, and 5 seconds. Yesterday’s front page had a tearjerker article about an IRS employee who was financially devastated by the previous shutdown and is very anxious about next week. My Facebook feed includes worries about next week. My union sends daily updates on the status of funding, and today called for a grassroots effort for members to call their Members of Congress and the President this week. Ask them to ensure that federal agencies stay open for the public.

I will do contact my members of Congress again, even though I feel like that’s preaching to the choir. I’ll try to get as much done as I can this week, in case I’m out for an unspecified amount of time. I’ll plan to do some more work around the house and scanning photos if I find myself with more time. And I’ll hope that Congress and the President come to their senses and fund the government!