Capitol credit unions see flood of applications during shutdown

After missing his paycheck, Michael Magby walked into the United States Senate Federal Credit Union’s Hart Building location last week to apply for a relief loan.

Magby, who has spent more than two decades on the Hill and currently works as a floor technician in the Senate office buildings, is one of roughly 700 people as of Friday who have applied for an up to $5,000 loan from the Senate-side credit union since the government shut down.

“Everybody’s in the same boat,” he said. “Everybody’s about to be struggling.”

As the government funding lapse stretches into its fifth week, the credit union anticipates that number will continue to rise, spokesman Arthur Green said. The current shutdown that began Oct. 1 is now the second longest in history, with no clear signs of an end.

“We’ve had