By Kim Hill
The partial Government Shutdown began on December 22nd, 2018 due to lack of funds for Trump’s boarder wall. The shutdown affected about 800,000 federal employees all over the United States. Hundreds of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers at multiple airports called in sick to avoid working without pay. Around 5,000 FBI staff and Agents warned the workers that National Security is at risk without their work. Still 41% of Food and Drug Administration workers are off the job due to the shutdown and some employees caution that the response time to emergencies could lower. Though some of the national parks are closed completely, some are open but with little to no staff. About 380,000 Federal employees are required to stay home, while another 420,000 must work without pay. Some of the 800,000 Federal workers are starting to receive “I Owe You” in the mail instead of a paycheck. The longer the shutdown stretches on, the more negative effects are starting to creep into lives of everyday Americans. There are vacations that are being ruined with widespread closures, and Airlines are shutting down terminals over TSA callouts. The US Government Shutdown is officially the longest on record.
