Shutdown taking a toll on workers, the public

The U.S. Senate was expected to vote on two measures today aimed at ending the 34-day partial shutdown of the federal government, but neither is expected to pass. That means thousands of federal workers will continue to suffer financially because of being furloughed or having to work without pay.

As for the American people, who are bystanders in the political battle involving Republican President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress, the cuts or delays in services are taking a toll.

Republicans, who are in the majority in the Senate with 53 seats, are backing a proposal to end the shutdown that includes the $5.7 billion President Trump has demanded to build a huge wall along the U.S-Mexico border.

Democrats, with 45 seats, are supporting a measure approved by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives that is designed to temporarily reopen government until mid- February and give workers their back pay.

The House proposal doesn’t contain the $5.7 billion demanded by the president, but it does provide some funding to further bolster security along the border.

There are two independents in the Senate, but it will take 60 votes for either measure to pass.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York have made it clear the first order of business must be to reopen government, after which negotiations with the White House over border security can take occur.

For his part, Trump has said he will not sign any bill that allocates operating funds for government agencies if his $5.7 billion isn’t included in it.

The political impasse is keeping the 800,000 federal workers from getting paid. The financial hardships they’re experiencing have become a crisis that must be dealt with sooner rather than later.

The nation is also feeling the effects of the shutdown. By the end of the month, about $6 billion will have been taken out of the economy, according to one estimate. It’s ironic that President Trump’s refusal to reopen government even temporarily is costing more than the $5.7 billion price tag for his wall.

But the ramifications of inaction go beyond dollars and cents.

Call to the IRS

On Tuesday, a telephone call to the Internal Revenue Service drove home the point that the 34-day partial federal government shutdown is negatively impacting the lives of the American taxpayers.

Being put on hold for two hours in order to speak to an IRS representative is ludicrous even for an agency that has a reputation for slowness during tax season.

The monotony of the same tune playing over and over is broken by this message delivered by a pleasant female voice: “Our representatives are still helping other customers. Please continue to hold.”

It’s fortunate that cellphones can be put on speaker so they don’t have to be held up to one’s ear. And, it’s helpful that a desk telephone has a hands-free button.

When the call is answered, it’s obvious that employees of the IRS are maintaining a level of professionalism amid very trying working conditions.

Last week, the IRS ordered 36,000 furloughed employees back to work without pay. The agency has pledged that tax filings and refunds will not be delayed.

Another government service that’s essential to the well-being of the American people is the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), which has issued a plea for 250 people to bolster its workforce of backup officers, according to CNN.

The network reported that the need for additional workers is “the latest sign the agency is straining under the pressure of the shutdown.”

An internal email sent from a TSA executive and obtained exclusively by CNN went out to more than 10 states with more than 100 employees.

The email asks the employees to move from their home airports to those airports struggling with low staffing, an indication the agency is bracing for even more call-outs, the network reported.

“The email is the latest example of increasing anxiety within TSA about the rising number of call-outs as employees prepare to miss a second paycheck this week. Ten percent of TSA’s workforce had unexcused absences on Sunday,” CNN reported..

This is the second such request for more backup screeners to help fill staffing gaps.

With no end to the political impasse in Washington in sight, the American people must demand an immediate end to the shutdown without conditions. But they should also make clear they expect the president and Congress to find a reasonable solution to border security.