A town in Trump country where shutdown axe looms

It’s been three months since Jonathan Giba moved into temporary housing for homeless veterans at a hospital for former members of the U.S. military in West Virginia.

He was awaiting medical and dental consultations after previously prescribed medications left him toothless and unable to walk. Now he’s preparing to wait even longer due to the government shutdown.

He calls it “political bs.” The U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital where Mr. Giba stayed in Martinsburg, West Virginia, still provides medical care, but the VA has discontinued other programs that help veterans find jobs and transition from military life.

“A shutdown is a waste of time and hurts everyone in the meantime,” the Army veteran says.

Martinsburg is an American town Feeling the effects of the US government shutdown is especially constant.

A city of about 20,000 about 85 miles (136 km) outside of Washington, D.C., federal agencies employ more than 3,300 people in the area between its veterans’ hospital, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) processing facility, and agricultural assistance office.

About a thousand federal workers commute to the nation’s capital each day from the Amtrak station in downtown Martinsburg.

This is Trump country, where 67 percent vote for the president in 2024 and fierce independence supports a can-do mentality.

The route of the Freedom’s Run Race Series, a community event held nearby due to the government shutdown, was changed from tracks near the federal Civil War battlefield, but otherwise continued as planned. Harper’s Ferry, a national park and nearby tourist destination, was kept open with government money.

But political infighting in Washington and a perceived lack of concern for ordinary Americans are not far from people’s minds. And they worry about what will happen as the shutdown drags on.

On an unseasonably warm Monday, about six days after the U.S. government shutdown, Mr. Giba sits in the shade of a large tree, smoking a cigarette with his fellow veterans.

One of them, Troy Williams, says politics hurts average Americans. “This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue,” he says. “It’s a reason why they’re not working on a resolution issue.”

Air Force veteran Marcellus Brothers is worried about what’s to come. “We’re in limbo, it’s scary.”

Republicans and Democrats are deadlocked over government funding, which expires Oct. 1, shutting down much of the government and leaving more than 700,000 people on unpaid leave. Approximately 200,000 workers deemed “essential” are working without pay as political tension continues.

Politicians in Washington pointed their fingers at the opposing party. On Friday, the White House began laying off thousands of federal employees.

Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Budget and Policy Center, warns that the shutdown threatens even greater losses in a state already hit by layoffs stemming from the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce.

“We have more federal government workers than coal miners in West Virginia,” he says. “Obviously these jobs pay well, they provide good benefits, and in a state where there aren’t a lot of good-paying jobs, those are really important.”

Tina Hissam, a local small business worker, saw firsthand the impact of the government shutdown on her neighbors.

“This hurts small businesses, they may cancel services, they may not shop local,” he says of federal workers. “The government shutdown is having such a huge impact and it’s really scary, I’m just praying it’s all over.”

Already, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) service center serving seven surrounding counties has closed its door.

The office, which is responsible for assisting farmers, ranchers and landowners with tasks such as applying for farm loans and disaster assistance, will remain closed until the government reopens.

On Wednesday, the IRS furloughed 34,000 workers, so the service center in Martinsburg may soon be affected as well.

History has shown that as shutdowns continue, more services are cut or shut down due to lack of funding.

West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito has so far been unyielding despite the potential impact on areas she represents, such as Martinsburg. He voted with his fellow Republicans to provide government funding without the health care subsidies that Democrats wanted. Proposals from both sides have failed repeatedly.

In a local column, Moore Capito noted that West Virginia has the third-highest number of federal employees per capita in the country but blamed Democrats for intransigence.

“These are our neighbors and friends; the people who keep our miners safe, process veterans’ benefits, protect our borders, and keep drugs out of our communities. They now face uncertainty about their paychecks through no fault of their own.”

That impact could finally be felt when the first checks come in since the shutdown on Friday, or not.

In previous shutdowns, federal workers working without pay were reimbursed, but it remains unclear whether that will be the case this time.

“Economic loss can have far-reaching consequences for local communities, businesses and households. It can cause long-term damage to local economies,” says local resident Mark Mulligan.

“West Virginia is a poor state and dependent on federal jobs and benefits. The suffering of the elderly, the disabled, and children could be catastrophic.”