AUSTIN--Monday marked the 24th day of the partial government shutdown, now the longest in the nation's history.
Its effects continue to be felt nationwide, especially for federal employees who are having to work without pay.
• Approximately 800,000 federal employees affected
• Affected employees include TSA and FAA
• Shutdown is longest in nation's history
Among the 800,000 federal employees affected are people who work for the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration. Thousands of TSA agents have called in sick, causing some airports to close security checkpoints.
A TSA spokesperson, Michael Bilello, tweeted that 51,000 agents have called in since the shutdown started, contributing to a delay at TSA checkpoints nationwide.
As of Monday morning, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's checkpoints took up to 20 minutes to pass through but has since tapered off to about 10 minutes as the day progressed.
Under the FAA, air traffic controllers continued to go to work despite the lack of pay. In a statement sent to Spectrum News from the agency’s Gregory Martin, the FAA assures that the nation's airspace is safe.
"Air traffic controllers and the technicians who maintain the nation’s airspace system continue to work without pay as they fill a critical mission to ensure the public's safety. We are allocating FAA resources based on risk assessment to meet all safety critical functions. We continue to proactively conduct risk assessment, and when we identify an issue we act and recall our inspectors and engineers, as appropriate, to address them.”
Local food banks are also feeling the effects of the government shutdown. The Central Texas Food Bank reported that three people, who identified themselves as federal employees, came forward and asked how they could access their services should the government remain shut down. The food bank's spokesperson, Paul Gaither, said while they're not experiencing an immediate influx, they're keeping an eye on partner food pantries that may need more supply than usual.
As of right now, people who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, have some breathing room because the program is funded until February. Should the shutdown drag on, Gaither said food pantries nationwide will struggle to meet the increased demand.
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