Bashtye Bailey, a Navy wife and a veteran, checks out a food bank for military families near Naval Station Norfolk. CNN
As noted by CNN
In Norfolk, Virginia, near a food bank for military families at Naval Station Norfolk – the world’s largest naval base – Bailey Bailey stood in the warm October sun, waiting in line for fresh vegetables, poultry, and eggs.
As the wife of a service member and a veteran, Bailey was already thinking about how they might not receive pay on Wednesday, and the fear that would become a political liability prompted President Donald Trump on Saturday to order the Department of Defense to find alternative funding sources so that military pay would continue next week.
“We have already cut some costs and certain expenditures,” Bailey said, adding that her husband’s pay is usually just enough to make ends meet.
– Bailey Bailey
The government shutdown is the latest blow for many service members and federal workers after a turbulent year marked by staff cuts, furloughs and reclassifications. Pay for some civilian workers was halted on Friday; estimates suggest that 1.3 million service members worldwide could join unpaid status this week if Trump’s actions do not provide the necessary funding.
A look at the possibility of unpaid pay raises concerns – meanwhile agencies and lawmakers have yet to reach a compromise on restoring government operations, as on Saturday Trump said authorities had “found funds” to pay troops on October 15.
Funds for military pay would be drawn from the Defense Department’s research and development accounts, which are available for two years, a spokesman for the administration’s Office of Budget and Management said. A bipartisan group of lawmakers continues to urge congressional leaders to pass a separate measure to pay troops during a shutdown.
A wave of anger and anxiety rolled through the eastern Virginia coast, where the U.S. government is the lifeblood of the Hampton Roads region – about 85,000 service members, 58,000 federal civilians, and many contractors.
Here, roughly 320 kilometers (about 200 miles) south of the capital, the consequences are more practical than political. Debates over rising health insurance premiums and who is responsible for simply keeping the government open – Trump and Republicans or Democrats – are being outweighed by the community’s economic concerns.
As CNN reports, the Hampton Roads region’s economy is tightly linked to federal contracts and naval activity, and payment disruptions are forcing people to seek economic reserves and trim expenses.
“In the coming days you’ll see this on Main Street,” said Bob McNab, professor of economics at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. “Your neighbor or your neighbor’s neighbor is likely not getting paid. And this shows up in pain – quickly and acutely.”
“If they don’t reimburse expenses, we’ll again face billions in potential losses if the shutdown lasts five weeks or longer,” McNab said. “There’s a real ripple effect.”
– Bob McNab
The regional story also touches on business: Kitchenfinity restaurant near the base was busy with lines, as Richard Maig and his wife serve local customers daily, underscoring the risk of reduced visitor traffic without stable pay.
“I don’t know if they’re living paycheck to paycheck, but I think it’s part of life they’re trying to navigate,” Maig said. “Everyone needs food, but they’ll probably be able to cut costs somewhere else.”
– Richard Maig
Marisen Corrales, who opened the establishment with her husband two years ago, is worried about steady customers who are struggling because of the shutdown, as well as her own small business due to rising costs for food and other resources.
“Tomorrow we don’t know how we’ll survive if there aren’t customers,” she said. “But we will still provide great service and food for as long as we can.”
– Marisen Corrales
The government shutdown is placing exhausting pressure on the Hampton Roads region, where the economy depends on federal contracts and defense activity. While officials say funds can be redirected to pay troops, a prolonged delay could harm people locally and small businesses. The community remains focused on a quick resolution and restoring normal financial support for military families and federal workers.
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