Federal Workers In Limbo As Government Shutdown Hits Day 24

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

SUNRISE (CBSMIAMI) - It's Day 24 of the partial government shutdown and there's no end in sight as negotiations between President Donald Trump and top Democrats remain at an impasse over funding for a border wall.

Last Friday, more than 800-thousand furloughed federal employees did not receive a paycheck.

On Monday, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz hosted a round table discussion with several federal employees to discuss Trump's shutdown and what it was doing to their families.

Watch President Trump Talk About The Shutdown In The Video Below

 

Some federal workers, like TSA agents, are mandated to keep showing up at their jobs even though they aren't getting paid.

Over the weekend, Miami International Airport closed a terminal because they feared they would not have enough TSA agents for the screening areas. The number of TSA agents calling in sick since the shutdown began has increased.

Chef Creole is serving free lunches to TSA workers on the job without a paycheck.

"I have friends and family giving me money to pay my bills but this can't go on much longer," said Paul Scaglione, a TSA screener at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Internation Airport

He said there haven't been many call outs but things could go south in a hurry if the situation isn't resolved soon.

Donna McGowan, who works for the IRS, said she's not sure what to do.

"It's this day to day limbo and I think 'oh, they're going to resolve this today' and then lo and behold no, we're not. So it's almost like do I start a project or not, do I apply for a job or not, surely we'll be back to work and then it goes on another day, and another day," she said.

It's not just federal employees impacted by the shutdown.

Mary Riedel, the President & CEO of Women in Distress of Broward County, said the shutdown is impacting them as well. The agency relies, in part, on federal funding which is being held up due to the shutdown. If Trump's shutdown continues long term, it could put significant pressure on them.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.