ACTION ALERT: Tell Congress How the Federal Shutdown Impacts You and Ask Them to Help End It
Ashlee Wilkins
Today, the House of Representatives and Senate are opening for the first day of the 116th Congress. The biggest item on their agenda in the short term is finding a way to reopen the rest of the federal government, left without a budget by the 115th Congress. Many federal agencies, including science agencies like NASA, NSF, and the Smithsonian, have ceased all but essential operations since the start of the federal shutdown on 22 December 2018. Federal workers are going without pay — including those essential employees still reporting to work — and scientific research, education, and facility development activities have been held at a standstill. Contractors with funding already in hand have had limited access to their colleagues and/or workspaces, and faced more uncertainty every day the shutdown continues.
Make a phone call now! Tell your representatives in Congress how the shutdown is impacting you in your professional and personal life, and ask them to pass legislation today that ends the shutdown, provides full-year spending to these agencies, and gets federal employees back to work.
Are you a federal employee? You still have first amendment rights to free speech and to petition your government! Just be sure not to use any federal resources (federal email address, agency laptop, etc.) to make these calls.
AAS members should have received an email about this Action Alert (check your spam filter!). Even if you are not an AAS member, do not have access to your professional email address because you're a furloughed federal worker, or otherwise did not receive the email, you can still join in by clicking the link below to take action today! Following the link below will bring you to our advocacy site, where we provide talking points and the contact information for your representatives once you provide your address.