Shutdown's political 'ping-pong game' frustrates workers
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Congress appeared ready to reopen the government Monday on the third day of a shutdown, some federal workers said they are frustrated over a political battle that put their jobs on hold and left 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 that the inability of Congress and President Donald Trump to negotiate a budget led to the shutdown.