I got an email from an NIH employee who's handling one of my proposals, letting me know the review panel was cancelled, hopefully to be rescheduled. I sent words of encouragement, and got a surprisingly heartfelt response.
I let her know I'm badgering my reps about it and trying to inform people about the impact of NIH shutdown, and she was really moved.
If you know a federal employee, send words of support. They are in a truly hard place. #science