Federal workers caught in middle of political showdown

WASHINGTON -- Before Congress reopened the government Monday evening on the third day of a shutdown, some federal workers said they are frustrated over a political battle putting their jobs on hold and leaving them in limbo.

The shutdown effectively cleaved the federal workforce in half Monday as hundreds of thousands of workers were sent home, while others who were declared essential stayed on the job.

J. David Cox, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers, said his members are exasperated by the inability of Congress and President Donald Trump to negotiate a budget led to the shutdown.

"We can't be the ball for the ping-pong game," Cox said Monday, after Senate Democrats dropped their objections to a temporary funding bill in return for assurances from Republicans leaders they will soon take up immigration and other hot-button issues.

"I'm on the shelf," Rusty Payne, a furloughed spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, told The Associated Press.

The partisan stalemate over the budget forced scores of federal government agencies and outposts to close their doors over the weekend. But many government functions -- especially those involving national security -- are considered essential and were not affected.

Payne and other DEA employees had been told to report to work, where they would learn their status. Payne drove to work Monday in business casual attire, a rare concession to comfort.

At the State Department headquarters, workers were streaming out mid-morning clutching white slips of paper: furlough notices being handed out throughout the day. Workers were told to show up as usual and wait to be told whether they would be sent home. All U.S. embassies and consulates overseas were remaining open, the State Department said, though some services could be reduced.

Furloughed employees were uncertain how long the partial lock-out would last and when they will be paid for any days they missed. The federal Office of Professional Management advised workers to refer to their home agency for guidance on reporting for duty.

Trump administration officials said they intend to minimize the effect of the shutdown, even though it's estimated almost half of the 2 million civilian federal workers were barred from doing their jobs as the shutdown extended into Monday.

The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents about 150,000 federal workers, said many more government employees are being exempted from furloughs than were excused during the 16-day shutdown in 2013.

The Internal Revenue Service is preparing for the start of the tax filing season and nearly 44 percent of 35,000 of the agency's more than 80,000 employees were to report to work during the shutdown. The agency's shutdown plan shows that most of those workers are assigned to the agency's wage and investment division, which helps American taxpayers understand and comply with U.S. tax laws.

For offices directly involved in national security and military operations, it was mostly business as usual. Troops remained at their posts and the FBI, the Coast Guard and much more stayed up and running.

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, both closed since the government shutdown, were set to reopen for visitors Monday. New York state will pick up the tab for the federal workers who operate them, according to the state's Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo.

But in Philadelphia, crowds of tourists were told Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, and the Liberty Bell were closed. The shuttered icons were some of the easiest-to-spot effects of the partial government closure.

Union leaders said workers were struggling with the uncertainty of not knowing when or if they will get paid.

Paychecks for the pay period that began Sunday may be affected by the shutdown, according to guidance the National Federation of Federal Employees sent to its members. Congress must approve back pay for those who work during the shutdown and also for furloughed employees.