Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed since the shutdown began on October 1, while others deemed essential – including some military personnel – have been required to turn up to work without receiving a paycheck.
“We kind of feel like we’re like a bargaining chip to an extent,” a long-serving US Air Force employee told AFP. “We’re not getting paid because people in D.C. who are getting paid can’t get on the same page.”
Most of the country lives paycheck to paycheck, these people might just be pragmatic. There’s no guarantee the government will resume in the next few days, and even if they do, these people are now out over a weeks pay, that can really put the pressure on some people.