Casey to Trump: The Shutdown Hurts Seniors

On the 25th day of the partial federal government shutdown, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, wrote a letter to President Trump detailing how the shutdown jeopardizes the transportation, housing, and nutrition needs of older Americans and people with disabilities. This is the longest-ever government shutdown in American history and affects approximately 800,000 federal workers who are either furloughed or forced to work without pay. In addition to federal employees, Trump’s shutdown also harms people that rely on services from the federal government.

“I am particularly concerned about the adverse impact of the shutdown on seniors, people with disabilities and their families,” Senator Casey wrote in the letter.

Food assistance programs administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (UDSA), rental assistance payments from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), transportation services through the Department of Transportation (DOT), and frauds and scams investigations and enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FTC) are all negatively impacted during the shutdown.   

“Elected and appointed officials in Washington have a sacred responsibility of ensuring seniors can age with dignity and people with disabilities can live independently. I request you direct the USDA, HUD, DOT, FTC and FCC to provide additional information to Congress on the steps they will take to mitigate the harmful impact this shutdown will have on seniors and people with disabilities. And, I urge you to reopen the government so that the health and financial security of our aging loved ones are no longer put in jeopardy.”

Read Casey’s letter to Trump on the shutdown’s harmful effects on seniors.