Imperial County braces for shutdown impact

Adrik Vargas
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County residents and federal workers could soon feel the effects of the government shutdown.
Congressman Raul Ruiz says his office is stepping in to help families access critical resources.
Some federal services, like Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans’ benefits, will continue, but customer support and new applications for these programs are facing delays.
Food assistance programs, including SNAP, will continue for now, but if the shutdown lasts, funds could run out.
“Working with the labor leaders of the people who are going to be most affected in order to connect them with the resources so they can meet their basic needs. Needs like, help with rent, with groceries, with gas to get to work, and any other basic needs that they have,” Congressman Ruiz said.
Ruiz says Congress needs to act quickly to end the shutdown, which he says is tied to attacks on healthcare and efforts to end Affordable Care Act subsidies.
“We need to continue to urge them to speak with us in order for us to pass a budget that’s going to protect healthcare and prevent their massive hikes in healthcare costs,” he added.
He also says he is organizing events to help federal workers connect with resources and get support throughout the shutdown.