By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com
The irony of President Trump shutting down the federal government in the name of public safety is nothing short of incredible.
Trump is refusing to budge on his demands for a border wall as the government shutdown is now in its second week.
But the agencies that protect Americans’ safety – the FBI, DEA, ATF, Coast Guard, TSA and yes, the Border Patrol – are affected by the shutdown.
Since the federal law enforcement employees are considered “essential,” they are still on the job, but they are not getting a paycheck. And that is lowering morale and prompting some to resign.
Tens of thousands of TSA employees, many of whom make less than $40,000 a year, are protecting airports without a paycheck.
Nearly 13,000 special FBI agents also are working without pay, prompting the FBI Agents Association to urge politicians to quickly find a solution.
“As the country celebrates the New Year, the American public can be assured that the FBIAA’s membership—which includes nearly 13,000 Special Agents of the FBI are on the job 24-hours a day, seven days a week to protect our country from criminal and terrorist threats,” FBIAA President Tom O’Connor wrote in a statement. “These men and women are doing so while facing a confluence of policies and gridlock that are causing financial hardship for Agents and their families.”
The American Federation of Government Employees union filed a lawsuit Monday, arguing that “essential” employees should be paid for their work.
So far, Trump has shown no willingness to budge on his call for billions of dollars for a wall that even many Republicans say appears to be a waste of money.
