1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am a constituent from Port Angeles, and I am insistent that you vote NO on H.R. 1968. The following is a statement from the American Federation of Government workers: “With thousands of federal workers either fired, placed on administrative leave, or at immediate risk of losing their jobs, AFGE members have concluded that a widespread government shutdown has been underway since January 20 and will continue to spread whether senators vote yes or no on H.R. 1968. Under the current Continuing Resolution, federal workers are being treated no better than they will be if government funding ceases Friday night. Yes, it is true that workers who have not yet been fired are at least drawing a paycheck - for now. But if H.R. 1968 becomes law - a measure that ignores the administration's brazen refusal to carry out duly enacted laws of Congress and further erodes Congress's power of the purse - AFGE knows that DOGE will dramatically expand its terminations of federal workers and double down on its campaign to make federal agencies fail because there will be nothing left to stop the Administration for the balance of Fiscal Year 2025, if ever.” I understand that there is a significant portion of Senate Democrats who are under the impression that Democrats will bear the weight of blame of a government shutdown should one come to pass. While I can find it within in myself to have some sympathy with this idea, the idea that Democrats will have an even harder time regaining a majority in the House of Congress and Senate if they have to regain confidence of voters, it is fundamentally flawed. Confidence in the Democrat party is already low amongst left leaning voters. Further, should HR 1968 garner enough votes to pass, there is a non-zero chance that your voter base won’t have a functioning government to have confidence in anyway. I must insist that you vote no, that you get in the way, that you do not allow this tyrannical take over to continue. If I am being honest with myself, I have a fear that further dissolution of government offices, services, and funding that protects vulnerable Americans will eventually result in widespread panic and potentially violence. What I fear more than that, is the idea that widespread panic and violence may actually be the point of this executive administration’s actions. For the sake of your constituents, resist.