An end to shutdown leaves federal workers still feeling insecure

Deepan Patel was one of a number of U.S. government workers waiting in line for a meal on Friday at celebrity chef Jose Andres’ “Chefs for Feds” emergency kitchen, when he heard President Donald Trump had agreed to end a 35-day-old partial government shutdown.

Like many of the 800,000 furloughed workers across America, Patel, who works for the Internal Revenue Service, expressed both relief and uncertainty about whether the three-week agreement to fund the government would last beyond Feb. 15.

“I think it’s a big help, especially to get that back pay, get those paychecks,” Patel said. “And hopefully they make a deal before it shuts down again.”

The stop-gap funding agreement sets up tough talks between the president and lawmakers about how to address security along the U.S.-Mexican border, with Democrats appearing unyielding in their opposition to Trump’s desire to build a wall, a central promise of the Republican’s 2016 election campaign.

Dulce Hernandez, 37, an officer with the union representing IRS agents in Spring Valley, California, said her phone often rang at night from distraught employees worried about how to pay their bills.

“I’m hoping they get their ducks in a row and figure this out, because we can’t go through this again,” she said. “The level of stress. I wasn’t sleeping.”

Friday would have been the second payday missed for those affected by the partial shutdown. The deal includes back pay, which Trump said they would receive soon.

Dulce Hernandez, 37, an officer with the union representing IRS agents in Spring Valley, California, said her phone often rang at night from distraught employees worried about how to pay their bills.

“I’m hoping they get their ducks in a row and figure this out, because we can’t go through this again,” she said. “The level of stress. I wasn’t sleeping.”

Friday would have been the second payday missed for those affected by the partial shutdown. The deal includes back pay, which Trump said they would receive soon.

(REUTERS)