Congressman Dave Loebsack today voted to start reopening the government with his vote in favor of the Financial Services Appropriations Bill. This legislation will fund the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to ensure the 1.1 million hardworking Iowans who are issued a tax refund will be processed in a timely manner. This bill is virtually identical to the bill that passed the Senate last year by a vote of 92-6. It now heads back to the Senate for its consideration.
“We should not be in the position in the first place. There have been multiple bipartisan bills passed by both the House and Senate to reopen the government and passing this Financial Services Appropriations Bill is another step in the right direction,” said Loebsack. “It is time for Republicans and the President to stop their political games and ensure the 1.1 million Iowans who are expecting a refund will get them in a timely fashion. It is important that this legislation be passed immediately to reopen these important agencies, so folks can get back to work and guarantee the American people will not face delays getting their tax refund.”
This coming Friday, January 11th, will mark the first missed paycheck for many of the federal employees who are part of the shutdown.
Because of the lack of funding, most of the important activities funded in the Financial Services Bill have ground to a halt. In addition to potentially slowing down tax return processing, the shutdown has also led to other serious impacts:
• IRS Customer Service Halted. All taxpayer customer service, including walk-in taxpayer assistance centers, which together serve approximately 2.5 million citizens monthly, is unavailable during the shutdown.
• Support for Small Businesses Stopped. The Small Business Administration has completely halted its role in the federal contracting process, interfering with projects government wide. The SBA has also stopped approving loan assistance and guarantee applications from commercial banks and small businesses, blocking access to federally-assisted loans for many small businesses.
• Securities Industry Regulator Closed. Nearly all SEC employees are furloughed, limiting the agency’s activities to process and approve filings. A prolonged shutdown will require companies to delay mergers, IPOs, and other actions, hindering economic activity.
• Consumer Protection Watchdog Shuttered. Most services provided by the Federal Trade Commission are suspended under the shutdown, including the National Do Not Call Registry, consumer complaint systems, and identity theft reporting – as well as law enforcement access to FTC’s consumer complaints.
I want to serve my constituents in any way I can. Whether you need help with a federal agency, are trying to find out if federal grants are available for your project, or are considering applying to a service academy. I hope all the information in this section will be helpful.
