Coast Guard Member's Wife: Shutdown Makes Me Consider Returning Son's Gifts
The spouse of a serving U.S. Coast Guard member has spoken out about her family’s current “chaotic” financial circumstances thanks to the ongoing government shutdown.
The woman known only as Kayla, whose husband is one of a reported 50,000 active-duty Coast Guard members presently without a paycheck, spoke with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Friday that they were “going through a lot of stress.”
The full-time student also claimed to have considered returning her son’s Christmas gifts in a bid to make ends meet.
She explained how things were “a little panicky right now” and that her family had been forced to ask their creditors to push bills back. They were also “pinching every penny” by temporarily keeping their son out of daycare and grocery shopping with coupons, she added.
President Donald Trump has warned the shutdown could last for months or even years if Democrats refuse to agree to federal funding for his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Kayla said an extended shutdown would place her family in an increasingly dire financial situation — and she pleaded with lawmakers to begin paying Coast Guard members again.
The Coast Guard is, in contrast to other branches of the military, funded by the Department of Homeland Security. Some 44,000 of its members are working without pay, while another 6,000 are being furloughed.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
