Now, unless Republicans in Congress do something about it,

this Saturday night, at one minute past midnight,

the federal government will shut down.

And while the House Freedom Caucus is making radical demands

and treating this all like a political stunt,

that Saturday night deadline is very real in terms

of the harm it could cause for hundreds of thousands

of Americans.

Now, I am old enough to remember the last time

the government shut down because Republicans wanted

something ridiculous.

It was right around Christmas of 2018.

The federal government shut down because President Trump

demanded funding for a border wall that he never ended up

finishing.

And on Capitol Hill, it was a spectacle.

But for 800,000 government workers,

these antics meant 35 days without a paycheck.

The new life worship centering Capitol Heights

is opening its doors to furloughed workers,

providing donated food from grocery stores and church members.

And I'm with Department of Commerce.

...