Reference News Network, October 28 report: According to the website of the New York Times in the United States on October 26, early Monday morning, Jill Honic, who works at the Social Security Administration in Chicago, woke up with the first thought being that her attendance card needed to be submitted on that day. But this Monday was different from usual. The U.S. federal government had shut down, and her salary was $0.

"This is my only source of income," she said, "I started crying, and I completely broke down."

Honic said it was outrageous for both parties to put federal employees in such a situation, especially when legislators were still receiving their salaries.

She asked, "What kind of courage do they have to not pay federal employees who serve your constituents?"

Honic, 59, is one of 730,000 federal employees who are working without pay due to the government shutdown. According to data from the Bipartisan Policy Center, another 670,000 federal workers have been forced to take unpaid leave.

As the government shutdown enters its fifth week, these government employees are facing increasingly severe and tense situations. With bills piling up and no clear solution in sight, some people have turned to side jobs, such as delivering food, walking dogs, and selling personal items, to earn some income. Others rely on food banks, which have been hastily organized to provide free groceries to federal employees and contractors.

With the Trump administration pushing forward to reduce the size of the government and reshape it, and taking action to cut hundreds of thousands of jobs, this widespread anxiety has made an already difficult year even worse for federal employees. The last government shutdown occurred during President Trump's first term and was the longest in history, lasting 34 days. The current shutdown began on October 1 and may last longer.

Cameron Kocimms, an official from the Transportation Security Administration in Boise, Idaho, is also working without pay. "I don't know how long everyone can hold on," he said, "we can only live off our savings."

According to the website of the American Consumer News and Business Channel on October 26, the "Care for People with Disabilities Association" in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, provides assistance to people with disabilities in the community, covering services ranging from transportation to housing rights. However, the organization has currently suspended several of its services.

Timothy Miles, director and board liaison of the organization, said, "Due to the government shutdown and budget cuts, core disability services that people depend on weekly have either been suspended, reduced, or are maintained through volunteer labor."

As the stalemate in Washington continues, many non-profit organizations have been unable to receive federal funding and have had to make difficult choices about the content of aid and the duration of support.

At the same time, the government shutdown has put some federal aid at risk, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is a critical time for people seeking help.

Diana Yenjeli, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, stated, "Nonprofit organizations are on the front lines of serving the community, but the government shutdown makes it harder for them to fulfill their mission."

She said, "The longer the shutdown lasts, the more people and communities will lose the vital services they rely on to survive."

According to Reuters on October 26, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that 22 cases of air traffic control staff shortages were reported on October 25 at U.S. airports, and with the continuation of the government shutdown, more flight delays and cancellations are expected in the coming days due to the shortage of air traffic controllers.

The U.S. flight tracking website stated that by 6 p.m. on the 26th, over 5,900 flights were delayed in the United States, and more than 5,300 flights were delayed on the 25th. Since the government shutdown on October 1, flight delay rates have often been higher than average.

The issues of flight delays and cancellations are closely watched because observers are looking for signals to see if the government shutdown is making life harder for Americans. This could pressure lawmakers to break the budget deadlock that caused the government shutdown.

Duffy said on Fox News Channel that the Federal Aviation Administration received 22 reports of air traffic control staff shortages on October 25. He called this the "most number of warning signals we've received in the system since October 1."

Duffy and other Republicans criticized Democrats for opposing a short-term funding bill without any conditions. Meanwhile, Democrats criticized President Trump and Republicans for refusing to negotiate on the expiring healthcare subsidies by year-end. (Translated by Wen Yi, Yang Ke, Pan Xiaoyan)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566164032034587170/

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