Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents a Northern Virginia district containing one of the largest concentrations of federal employees in the U.S. House, today shared a letter one of his Alexandria constituents sent him earlier this week describing the way the impending government shutdown will personally impact her.

Beyer previously shared excerpts of constituent stories describing the hardship and uncertainty they experienced during the partial government shutdown of 2018-19.

Text of the letter follows below, with a picture shared here.

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Representative Beyer,

I am one of your constituents-having lived in Alexandria, VA for the past 6 years. I am also a US Army reservist and have served my country for over 17 years. I have been on active for four years, and have been assigned in Stuttgart, Germany for the past 6 months. My active duty period of service ended yesterday, with the expectation that I would start again on active duty-in Stuttgart-on October 1st. If the government shuts down, that may not happen.

I left Germany yesterday, to visit family and friends in Virginia for a few days, leaving all my belongings and a pet in a hotel.

Because I had no expectation that the government would shut down, I did not out-process from my unit in Germany, therefore I did not receive a DD214, which would make me eligible for VA benefits. And, all my stuff-and my pet-is in Germany.

Because I had the expectation of being on active duty for about a year, I have rented out my house, and currently have no place to live. I have also lost access to health care as of yesterday.

This is rather concerning, as I am also a recent victim of military sexual trauma, with an active sexual assault case that has existed for a year and a half--and I have now lost access to the mental health treatment I was receiving.

So, in addition to finding a myself a place to live, flying back to Germany on my own dime to out-process and retrieve my belongings, deciding how long I can go without income, I am also scrambling around to find healthcare, because while it is extremely effective, the medication I am taking to manage some of the mental health symptoms of MST produces debilitating withdrawal symptoms, if treatment is abruptly halted.

I was extremely dismayed to see that members within the freedom caucus were from Virginia.

I encourage you to share my story, while leaving out my name-because myself and millions of other Americans, feel strongly about being paid/employed, having health care, and having a place to live, which, for me, is currently all in flux, as a result of an impending government shutdown. What the freedom caucus is doing, is shameful.

Please share my story.

Sincerely,

MAJ [REDACT]

US Army Reserves