No end in sight for govt shutdown
The longest federal government shutdown in US history entered its 28th day on Friday as the stalemate continued between President Donald Trump and Democratic House members over his demand for funding of a wall between the United States and Mexico.
There were indications that the shutdown was starting to have an impact on the economy, and more reports across the country of government workers looking for new jobs, taking out loans, maxing out credit cards, borrowing from friends and selling some of their household and personal belongings on the internet to pay mortgages, rent, healthcare and everyday needs.
Some were going to food pantries. In Atlanta, home of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the world’s biggest, the Atlanta Community Food Bank was planning to set up temporary pantries on Friday to primarily serve Transportation Security Administration workers, who aren’t being paid.
“They keep the airport running — it is a vital resource and economic engine not just for Atlanta but also for the country,” said Kyle Waide, president and CEO of the food bank, who is expecting more than 1,000 people might go to the pantries.
More than 800,000 federal employees across several agencies have been furloughed or, if deemed essential, continue to work without pay during the shutdown.
The federal workers who haven’t been paid during the government shutdown have each missed more than $5,000 in wages on average so far, according to a New York Times analysis. Combined, that’s more than $200 million per workday, the newspaper said.
While the median federal salary is $77,000, about one-fifth of workers make less than $50,000. Many have said they have less than a month’s worth of expenses in savings.
Lines at some airports lengthened as TSA agents failed to show for work, but wait times at most US airports were reported to be normal. Airport managers urged passengers to allow for more time to pass through screening, and there was concern the lines and wait times would be longer as travel for the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday picks up.
Nine in 10 of the 60,000 employees at Customs and Border Patrol must report to work, checking passports and manning the existing sections of border wall. But they are not being paid. Immigration courts, as of Tuesday, had postponed thousands of hearings, including many of the deportation cases Trump is trying to speed up.
Businesses are saying that the shutdown has caused a loss of revenue that they might not recoup, such as the $25 million that Delta Air Lines lost because of fewer bookings than anticipated in February.
The shutdown has started to take its toll on the economy, with delayed payments to federal contractors causing a $93 million per day hit to economic growth, the White House said.