I am a member of the American Federation of Government Employees, America's largest federal employee union. I represent the proud men and women of the TSA in Southern California, from San Luis Obispo in the north to San Diego in the south and everything in between, to include Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. I am a proud federal employee, working every day to provide essential services to my community and the flying public. I’m very concerned about the impact this shutdown will have on my family, my neighbors, and small businesses in my community.
No one outside of Capitol Hill wanted this shutdown, but here we are. Why should federal employees have to suffer because Congress can't do their jobs and agree on a budget? Why should taxpayers waste billions in lost productivity from furloughs just so a handful of lawmakers can make a political point?
The answer is simple: This shutdown never should have happened in the first place, and we need to tell Congress that the time for games is over.