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Your Call

Media Roundtable: The government shutdown's impact on contract workers and food stamp benefits

A sign announces the closure of the National Archives building in Washington, D.C., Dec. 22, 2018.

On this edition of Your Call’s media roundtable, we’ll discuss the impacts of the government shutdown on contract workers. According to Good Jobs Nation, the federal government is the largest employer of low-wage workers. Over four million contractor jobs pay less than $15 an hour.

The government shutdown is also threatening the livelihood of more than 38 million poor Americans who rely on food stamps to feed their families.

Guests:

David Dayen, contributor to The Intercept and award winning author of Chain of Title, which tells the story of three ordinary Americans who uncover Wall Street’s foreclosure fraud.

Arthur Delaney, senior reporter at the Huffington Post covering politics and the economy

Web Resources:

 

Huffington Post: High Child Poverty Is A Deliberate Policy Choice

The New Republic:Why Aren’t Democrats Standing Up for Low-Wage Government Workers?

Bloomberg: Shutdown Threatens $200 Million a Day in Federal Contracts

Vox: Senate Republicans Won’t Fund The Government If It Means Defying Trump

ABC: Trump signs executive order pushing work requirements for welfare recipients

Rose Aguilar has been the host of Your Call since 2006. She became a regular media roundtable guest in 2001. In 2019, the San Francisco Press Club named Your Call the best public affairs program. In 2017, The Nation named it the most valuable local radio show.