PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The government shutdown has begun, and it’s plunging the U.S. into a fresh cycle of uncertainty. President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline.
Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, some potentially fired by Trump’s Republican administration. Many offices will be shuttered, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution.
His deportation agenda is expected to run full speed ahead, while education, environmental and other services sputter. The economic fallout is expected to ripple nationwide.
Essential government workers like TSA officers and air traffic controllers still have to show up to work, but they’re not getting paid. The TSA officers on duty at Terminals D and E at Philadelphia International Airport Wednesday morning were getting passengers through without much issue.
READ MORE: What happens now that a government shutdown is underway
A concern is that if the shutdown drags on and the workers go without a paycheck for an extended period of time, that could lead to more callouts and longer wait times. And with there already being a shortage of air traffic controllers, more flight delays and cancellations could pile up.
Randy Erwin, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, said the Trump administration has already been mistreating federal workers, and shutdowns send a bad message to those who would consider working for the government.
“We are doing damage to our ability to recruit and retain the talent we need in this government for decades to come,” Erwin said.
The National Park Service said parks will generally remain accessible to visitors, especially open air sites like Independence Mall and Valley Forge National Historical Park, but they could be closed if damage is done to park resources or excessive trash buildup.
The last government shutdown took place at the end of 2018 and into 2019, and it lasted for 35 days. As the shutdown dragged on, a growing number of TSA officers called out. They weren’t getting paychecks, so they couldn’t afford gas or other transportation costs to get to work. In some cases, they couldn’t afford child care, so they had to stay home to be with their children.
READ MORE: How the government shutdown will affect student loans, FAFSA and the Education Dept.
The workers are entitled to back pay once the shutdown is over, but they have to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing when their next paycheck may come. Some federal workers who were without an income during the last shutdown struggled to put food on the table. There were grocery giveaway events in Philadelphia and elsewhere in the country.
Democrats picked this fight as they demand funding to save health care subsidies that are expiring and sending insurance costs soaring. Republicans have refused to negotiate. More voting is expected on Wednesday.
This is the third time Trump has presided over a federal funding lapse, the first since his return to the White House this year.