Senator Hassan Hears from TSA Officers About Impacts of the President’s Senseless Government Shutdown
MANCHESTER – In case you missed it, Senator Maggie Hassan yesterday met with TSA officers after their shift at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to hear about how the President’s senseless government shutdown is impacting them and their families, and reaffirmed her commitment to fighting to reopen the government. The government shutdown – now in its 33rd day – is placing a financial strain on TSA officers who have been working without pay to keep the public safe.
Senator Hassan helped introduce bipartisan legislation, which has now been signed into law, that would ensure that any furloughed government employee from this shutdown or any future ones will be paid retroactively as soon as appropriations are restored, and also joined in introducing the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act, which would protect federal workers and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown.
See below for highlights of the coverage:
WMUR: TSA workers hope for end to government shutdown
By Tim Callery
To watch the video,click here.
Transportation Security Administration workers are continuing to feel the financial pinch caused by the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.
According to TSA, nearly 8 percent of its work force called out Tuesday, citing financial limitations. But at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, every agent has shown up to work, despite not getting paid.
"We're stubborn Granite Staters," said David Boucher, regional vice president of AFGE Local 2617. "We're not going to fold that quickly."
…Boucher and some of his colleagues spoke Tuesday with U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., to express concerns about how they'll survive financially if the shutdown continues.
"We want to get our bills paid," Boucher said. "We're worried about our credit. We're worried about the landlord coming after us."
"They're also feeling like they're being used as pawns in a big political debate," Hassan said.
Hassan said both sides need to find a compromise to end the debate soon.
"We need to continue our negotiations about the final solution of our Department of Homeland Security budget," she said. "There's no reason to keep government closed while those negotiations go on."
Hassan has joined a bill that would protect federal workers and their families from foreclosures, evictions and loan defaults during a government shutdown.
NBC-10 Boston: Hassan Introduces Legislation for TSA Workers
By Katherine Underwood
To watch the video, click here.
NBC-10: Now a senator from New Hampshire is introducing legislation to make sure the government shutdown doesn’t leave lasting impacts on federal employees. Our Katherine Underwood joins us now live from the airport in Manchester with more on this.
… Katherine Underwood: Shannon and Kristy, you guys can tell by the lines, or lack thereof that there really hasn’t been a disruption to travelers here in Manchester, that’s because this burden is falling on TSA agents. So now, Senator Maggie Hassan is working to make sure that burden is only temporary.
… Senator Hassan: We got to reopen government. We got to get this done.
Katherine Underwood: For Senator Maggie Hassan, ending the government shutdown is the first priority.
Senator Hassan: We shouldn't have this be the norm, where people stamp their feet and say ‘unless you do what I want, I'm shutting down the government.’
Katherine Underwood: But in the meantime, she's meeting with federal employees caught in the cross hairs of the showdown in D.C.
… Senator Hassan: It is unacceptable to use federal workers as pawns in this debate.
Katherine Underwood: So, Senator Hassan has introduced legislation that would protect these federal employees from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown.
Senator Hassan: Things like that, to really look at the long term impacts of not being able to pay your bills on time, because this not through any fault of your own.
… Katherine Underwood: It is important to note though that these federal employees will be paid retroactively as soon as the government reopens. Hassan tells us she's hoping that legislation gets bipartisan support so that it can be passed as soon as possible.
###
