As many as 800,000 federal employees aren’t getting paid during the partial government shutdown. And at least one local tribe is feeling those effects.
Acoma Pueblo Governor Brian Vallo said dozens of tribal members are federal employees with the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. They’re not getting paid, so making rent next month could be tough for them.
“Our communities are safe spaces for our people and when you add the stress of the uncertainty of financial security, those systems can break down,” Vallo said.
Vallo said things like social services, behavioral health assistance, and police could all be affected because federal funding isn’t coming in.
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Reporter Hannah Colton contributed to this story.
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