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This particular Senator has actually helped people from my particular agency and office before, so I have some hope I might carry some weight. I'm heavily redacting to remove identifying information, but all that matters is the gist:
Dear [Republican Senator] -
I work for [government entity]. We have a great team ... who have remained positive during this shutdown and have reached out to help each other whenever possible. With this snowstorm on the way, which looks as though it could make it extremely difficult to get to ... for my job, I'm planning to take a hotel room for two nights so that I won't let my team down. I'm lucky that my husband gets decently paid at his job so that I can do this. I know many of my coworkers are not so lucky as to be able to pay for a hotel room to report to a job which isn't paying them.
I'm quite unhappy that the Senate hasn't produced or voted upon any bill to resolve this impasse. Anyone who is essential should really never have been put in this situation of not getting paid. I can't believe there is any topic or disagreement that should ever be important enough that the government should be shut down.
I feel confident that you can build that coalition for the two-thirds vote that you need in the House and Senate and find a way around this. Not for me, but for all your constituents who need to be able to afford to get to their job.
--[me]
Dear [Republican Senator] -
I work for [government entity]. We have a great team ... who have remained positive during this shutdown and have reached out to help each other whenever possible. With this snowstorm on the way, which looks as though it could make it extremely difficult to get to ... for my job, I'm planning to take a hotel room for two nights so that I won't let my team down. I'm lucky that my husband gets decently paid at his job so that I can do this. I know many of my coworkers are not so lucky as to be able to pay for a hotel room to report to a job which isn't paying them.
I'm quite unhappy that the Senate hasn't produced or voted upon any bill to resolve this impasse. Anyone who is essential should really never have been put in this situation of not getting paid. I can't believe there is any topic or disagreement that should ever be important enough that the government should be shut down.
I feel confident that you can build that coalition for the two-thirds vote that you need in the House and Senate and find a way around this. Not for me, but for all your constituents who need to be able to afford to get to their job.
--[me]