Jobs and Economy

As furloughed federal workers scramble to cover their bills, members of Congress are imploring the Education Department to help those workers manage their student loans during the partial government shutdown.

Members of Oregon's congressional delegation went to the Oregon Food Bank on Friday to highlight the impact the partial shutdown of the federal government is having.

The government shutdown is now heading into its 5th week and federal workers are struggling without pay.

As furloughed federal workers scramble to cover their bills, members of Congress are imploring the Education Department to help those workers manage their student loans during the partial government shutdown.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) said at an event celebrating the introduction of a bill to more than double the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15.00 per hour said that she and her colleagues do not "begrudge anyone their success or their income" but they do "begrudge exploitation" of workers.

At least 80 members of Congress have said they will refuse their paychecks or donate their earnings for the length of the shutdown in solidarity with unpaid federal employees.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is asking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to "proactively" reach out to student loan providers to encourage special dispensation for federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown.

On Jan. 11th, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) released the following statement as the partial government shutdown reached its 21st day, threatening to become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history (the shutdown has now become the longest in history.)