President Donald Trump has lauded the federal employees furloughed or working without pay due to the partial government shutdown, describing those not getting paid as “great patriots.”
Around 800,000 federal workers have gone without pay since the shutdown began on December 22. Now the longest in U.S history, the government closure looks set to drag on further with Trump struggling to reach a funding deal with the Democratic Party.
Read More: GoFundMe Launches Government Shutdown Direct Relief Fund For Federal Employees
Though the president has tried to shift the blame for the shutdown onto the opposition, polls have shown that most Americans blame Trump and the Republicans for the ongoing crisis—caused by a dispute over funding for the president’s proposed southern border wall.
The president has claimed—without evidence—that most Americans are behind his plan. A Sunday night tweet addressed the hundreds of thousands of citizens who have gone unpaid, thanking the “great patriots” for “working so hard for your Country [sic].”
“We must now work together, after decades of abuse, to finally fix the Humanitarian, Criminal & Drug Crisis at our Border. WE WILL WIN BIG! [sic]” the president wrote.
To all of the great people who are working so hard for your Country and not getting paid I say, THANK YOU – YOU ARE GREAT PATRIOTS! We must now work together, after decades of abuse, to finally fix the Humanitarian, Criminal & Drug Crisis at our Border. WE WILL WIN BIG!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019
There appears to be no clear solution to the shutdown, now in its 30th day. This weekend, Democrats dismissed Trump’s newest plan, which offered three years of protection for Dreamers—undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children—in exchange for the $5.7 billion in wall funding.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi branded the deal “unacceptable” and said it was a “non-starter” that would not get the required support in Congress, USA Today explained.
But as lawmakers skirmish in Washington, the shutdown is hitting federal employees in their pockets. Hundreds of thousands are now facing the prospect of a second month with no salary as officials try to maintain vital government services.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, for example, have been working without pay since the shutdown began. But as the pay freeze drags on, staffing levels have suffered.
A TSA statement released Sunday noted that “many employees are reporting that they are not able to report to work due to financial limitations.” On Saturday, 8 percent of staff were absent from work, compared with 3 percent at the same time last year.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been criticized for his perceived inaction during the shutdown. The Kentucky senator has largely tried to stay out of the melee and support Trump, though has been forced to block Senate votes on three House Democrat-approved plans that would have partially reopened government.
McConnell previously suggested he would not allow a vote on any proposal that does not have the president’s backing. Over the weekend the senator said he would allow a vote on Trump’s new plan, even though it will require a handful of Democratic votes to pass.
President Donald Trump makes remarks as he hosts a naturalization ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. on January 19, 2019. Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images
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