{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-van-hollen-alsobrooks-colleagues-take-action-to-protect-federal-workers-financial-health-as-shutdown-threatens-economic-hardship", "Booker, Van Hollen, Alsobrooks, Colleagues Take Action to Protect Federal Workers\u2019 Financial Health as Shutdown Threatens Economic Hardship", "2025-10-09", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-DE), along with several of their colleagues, to introduce the Shutdown Guidance for Financial Institutions Act.This legislation requires federal financial industry regulators to issue guidance encouraging financial institutions to work with federal employees and small businesses impacted by a government shutdown \u2013 including offering flexible financial arrangements to prevent them from facing additional financial hardship brought on by penalties for late payments, overdraft fees, and credit damage. The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).\n\n\u201cThis shutdown is a tsunami of Donald Trump\u2019s own making, and Congress must act to shield impacted federal workers, contractors, and small businesses from it,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cHardworking Americans shouldn\u2019t suffer or see their credit scores impacted because of a shutdown that leaves them without paychecks through no fault of their own. This legislation would ensure that financial regulators act quickly to provide basic guidance in the event of a shutdown and would help families and small businesses stay afloat.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo federal workers or contractors deserve to face economic ruin because of a shameful Republican shutdown that they have nothing to do with. That\u2019s why we\u2019re pushing to ensure that they have ways to safeguard their financial futures while we work to reopen the government. And we will keep fighting for a responsible government funding agreement \u2013 one that holds this lawless president accountable and prevents a massive spike in health care costs for families across America,\u201d said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n\u201cWhile President Trump continues his callous witch hunt against federal workers, I am proud to partner with Senator Van Hollen to protect our civil servants, contractors, and small businesses here in Maryland. Federal financial industry regulators must immediately issue guidance so financial institutions can work with all those impacted by this Republican Shutdown to get them the support they need. Our civil servants deserve better,\u201d said Senator Alsobrooks.\n\n\u201cHundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors in Virginia and across the country have been furloughed or are working without pay because of a government shutdown that is out of their control,\u201d said Senator Warner. \u201cThis bill will protect federal workers and advise financial regulators and institutions to work with those impacted by the shutdown.\u201d\n\n\u201cFederal workers, government contractors, and small businesses are often forced to make tough decisions about their finances during a shutdown,\u201d said Senator Kaine. \u201cA number of Virginian credit unions and community banks have stepped up to provide flexibility and support affected individuals and businesses. This legislation would require federal financial regulators to issue guidance to encourage this flexibility.\u201d\n\n\u201cGovernment shutdowns exacerbate the burden on federal workers, contractors, and small businesses, making it harder for individuals who rely on federal funding to make ends meet,\u201d said Senator Gillibrand. \u201cHelping these individuals navigate the uncertainty of a shutdown that is no fault of their own is the least we can do. By requiring federal financial regulators to issue guidance promptly, this commonsense legislation will do just that, and I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to support it.\u201d\n\n\u201cFederal workers and contractors are regular, hard-working Americans who have bills to pay and financial obligations to meet,\u201dsaid Congressman Kweisi Mfume. \u201cThey should not be forced into financial hardship because Republicans in the Congress refuse to take the action necessary to re-open the government while preventing American healthcare premiums from skyrocketing.\u201d\n\nTo read the full text of the bill, click here.\n\nSenator Booker also joined a group of 24 of his Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to the heads of federal financial regulatory agencies calling on them to immediately issue such guidance as federal workers, contractors, and small businesses face the prospect of struggling to make ends meet due to a crisis that was not of their doing. The letter, which was led by Senators Van Hollen and Alsobrooks and Congressman Kweisi Mfume, called on the federal financial regulators to immediately take the steps required under the legislation, noting that similar actions were taken during past shutdowns and financial institutions need clear regulatory assurance to act swiftly. The letter was sent to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Acting Chair Travis Hill, Federal Reserve System Vice Chair Michelle Bowman, Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould, National Credit Union Administration Chair Kyle Hauptman, Acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Russell Vought, and Conference of State Bank Supervisors Chair Tony Salazar.\n\nThe letter is co-signed by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA); and U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Don Beyer (D-VA), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Gabe Amo (D-RI), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), and James Walkinshaw (D-VA).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-van-hollen-alsobrooks-colleagues-take-action-to-protect-federal-workers-financial-health-as-shutdown-threatens-economic-hardship"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.765089040622115, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}