As the U.S. enters the fifth day of the government shutdown, federal employees and other Americans are starting to feel the impact.

The federal government shutdown started on Oct. 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. following a congressional failure to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year, which started that day.

Who and what is affected by the government shutdown:

  • About 750,000 federal employees are expected to be furloughed each day, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
  • The president and members of Congress continue to receive pay, as their paycheck is constitutionally protected.
  • The majority of veteran benefits and military operations continue to be funded.
  • Social Security benefits also continue, but the Social Security Administration could face a furloughed workforce.
  • The United States Postal Service will not be affected.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it expects more than 32,000 of its 80,000 employees to be furloughed, according to NBC News.
  • The National Park Service said the park remains partially open.
  • Air traffic control services continue, but the workers are not being paid during a shutdown.

Without the TSA agents, there’s no safe traveling. Many passengers across the country are worried about how long TSA workers will continue to work without pay, and if the boarding and traveling process will continue to run smoothly.

The TSA union’s leader says TSA agents are under a lot of stress. 

Image source: Platt/Getty Images

TSA union leader concerned about agents getting paid

Thousands of TSA agents across the country are reporting for duty, despite not being paid. On Oct. 1, the TSA posted on X: 

Approximately 61,000 of the agency’s 64,000 employees are considered excepted or exempt, and TSA will continue operations to keep the travelling public safe. The remaining employees will be temporarily furloughed.

However, the longer the shutdown lasts and agents are not getting paid for their work, chances are higher that they’ll start calling in sick, reports MSNBC.

Vice President of America Federal Government Employees Council 100/TSA Region 7 Joe Shuker spoke with MSNBC, sharing the status of the current situation.

It’s a real thing. If we don’t get paid next week, they can go to work, they can’t pay their rent, their food. They can’t feed their family.

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Shuker added that the last shutdown lasted 35 days, making gas money a problem and child care a huge challenge. 

Your last money that you have from your last check, has to make you to God knows when.

Shuker explained that child care workers didn’t want to hear about people not getting paid. They would demand to be paid or tell parents to stay at home with their child. That’s the reason many people stopped coming to work during the last shutdown, which lasted for more than a month.

When asked how likely it is that a similar situation would happen, Shuker said it is very likely.

It’s probably starting to happen now, I think. We are basically veterans of the shutdown now… People then didn’t know what to expect; they know now. They know they are not getting paid, they know they are running out of money. They know they won’t have money to get to work. That’s happening now. I’d be surprised if it’s not happening hard over this weekend.

High TSA stress can impact security

While the number of TSA agents and air traffic controllers not coming to work is a huge problem for airport operations, the problem exists even when they do show up.

Shuker didn’t want to discuss the likelihood of how long the shutdown would last. Instead, he stressed that the workers are not receiving a paycheck. Then he shared his greatest concern:

Our guys get distracted. We have a high stress job, we are looking for bombs, weapons. The air traffic controllers are not getting paid either. You got guys checking your bags for weapons… the air traffic controllers who are trying to keep you safe. You won’t get on a plane if a pilot is not getting paid.

Shuker says he is surprised pilots and flight attendants are allowed to get on a plane during the current situation.

“Every day becomes a high risk… because people are stressed out.“

How do airline passengers feel about the shutdown?

The TSA union leader’s words reached Reddit, where passengers and Reddit users shared their thoughts on the current situation.

User No_Mind3009 responded emphatically:

If someone doesn’t know if they will continue to be paid, it makes sense to start to cut expenses. One of those expenses would be commuting. If you need to save money, calling in sick makes perfect sense.

Others focused on the possibility that later in October, flying might not be running as smoothly as it is now.

Yeah, my cousin was asking me about travel plans for 11-18 October. I told her ATC and TSA will probably start getting pissed off later in the month and she should be good for her vacation, user Skatchbro wrote.

Some travelers suggested that flyers be kind and understanding to TSA agents, who continue to do their job with a lot of stress and are not being paid.

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