47,000 Central Florida Federal Employees Hit by Shutdown
About 47,000 federal employees in Central Florida are working without pay or furloughed on temporary leave because the federal government is shut down. Congress did not pass a funding deal before the deadline October 1, 2025.
Many government agencies are required to stop operations because there’s no money authorized for them to operate. Essential workers like TSA agents must show up even though they won’t get paid until the shutdown is over. Many employee unions are calling on Congress to end the shutdown immediately, so their federal workers don’t pay the price. John Hubert is the American Federation of Government Employees Local President, representing TSA workers in Florida. He joins Engage to discuss the impact to the essential workers still showing up to work.
The Senate is schedule to vote again Friday on a short-term resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to fund the government for seven weeks while Congress works on a budget deal. The plan did not pass Wednesday. That vote fell largely along party lines though one Republican voted against the bill while three Democrats broke with their party voting in favor. Health care is the issue.
Democrats want Republicans to reverse Medicaid cuts in President Trump’s bill passed this summer and to extend the tax credits to make health insurance more affordable through the Affordable Care Act. Those credits that were put in place during the COVID pandemic will expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t extend them. Republicans say keeping the government open should be the priority, and they can negotiate health care later. Some members of the GOP claim Democrats want to give free health care to people in the country illegally.
Immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status are not eligible for federal health care programs like Medicare or Medicaid. Some immigrants who aren’t citizens such as green card or visa holders or those granted asylum can qualify depending on their situation.
U.S. Representative Mike Haridopolos is the Republican House member representing Brevard County and communities around the Space Coast. He joins Engage to discuss the implications of the shutdown for Central Floridians and the importance of keeping the government open.
While the GOP blames Democrats for the shutdown, the Democrats blame Republicans. U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost represents Orlando. He joins Engage to talk about why he and other Democrats are not supporting the seven-week short-term funding plan and what he’s hearing from people in his district during the shutdown.
School Libraries Disappearing
Libraries are part of the school experience, but in some districts, they’re starting to disappear. Two reporters who recently wrote the story, “From a Goosebumps book – Seminole County’s skeleton crew libraries,” about the lack of librarians join Engage. Makayla Gray and Abe Aboraya, reporters with Oviedo Community News, discuss their findings and how fewer paid staff are leaving volunteers to pick up the slack.
Orlando Artist Brings Authenticity and Hip-Hop to the Ring
When WWE’s Friday night smackdown was in Orlando last week, thousands of fans filled the Kia Center downtown for the show. Orlando resident Josiah Williams got on WWE's radar with his, "Wrestle and Flow," YouTube series remixing entrance music with hip-hop to tell stories.
He worked as an on-air announcer based at the WWE Performance Center located in Orlando. Staying authentic is at the core of the content Williams creates. He joins Engage to discuss how he brought his unique voice to storytelling in the ring and inspiring others along the way.
