32 days US shutdown affects FBI
The US government shutdown has been going on for 32 days now and consequences for government employees become more and more visible. Many of them are forced to work other jobs in order to be able to pay their bills. However, at the moment, an agreement between Democrats and Republicans, which would put an end to the shutdown, does not seem likely.
Meanwhile, the president of the F.B.I. Agents Association, Thomas O’Connor, stated in a report that the federal bureau is running out of money and thereby unable to do its job properly: “The resources available to support the work of F.B.I. agents are currently stretched to the breaking point and are dwindling day by day,”. He went on to say that funding the FBI is crucial to national security. At the moment, they are having problems paying interpreters and informants which might result in losing important contacts. The Justice Department, under which the FBI runs, is one of the government sectors affected by the partial shut down.
Despite these consequences, Washington does not seem close to resolving their budgeting issues. However, tomorrow the Senate is going to vote on two competing drafts. The Republican bill includes the 5.7 billion Dollar Trump demands to build the border wall to Mexico. In return, the draft says that one Million Children of illegal immigrants, the so-called “Dreamer” will not be deported for another 3 years. The Republicans need at least 7 Democrats voting for their draft for it to get the majority.
On the other side, Democrats want to end the shut down by an interim budget which would allow the 800,000 government employees to work until the 8th of February until a final draft has been decided on. However, President Trump, as well as Republicans, are unlikely to agree to the bill.