The shutdown is over, and Utahns are relieved — but unless Congress finally feels the consequences they dump on everyone else, we will be right back here again. Shutdowns happen for one reason: the people responsible never pay the price.
When a shutdown hits, it’s federal workers in Utah who suffer. TSA officers at the Salt Lake City airport work without pay. Employees at the IRS in Ogden, the largest federal employer in our state, scramble to cover bills. Workers tied to Hill Air Force Base face furloughs or unpaid labor. Park rangers, Forest Service staff, and federal law enforcement across Utah live with constant uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Congress — and importantly, their staff — lose nothing.
Their pay continues.
Their taxpayer-funded benefits continue.
Their health insurance continues.
Their offices stay fully functional while everyone else is thrown into chaos.
This double standard guarantees shutdowns will keep happening. Why would Congress fix a problem that never touches them?
That’s why I launched a petition calling for a simple reform: If Congress allows a government shutdown, then both members and their staff should immediately lose all pay and all benefits — no back pay, no insurance, no exceptions — until the government is reopened.
Yes, staff must be included. They are part of the institution, and the institution only responds to pressure when everyone inside it feels the consequences.
I’ve already sent this proposal to every member of Utah’s congressional delegation, and I am asking them again now: Draft the bill. End the hypocrisy. Make Congress and its staff live under the same conditions they impose on every other federal worker.
We’re glad the shutdown ended. But if it happens again, both parties will be equally to blame — unless they finally make themselves feel it too.
Aaron Nelson, Farmington
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