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President Donald Trump hinted Thursday that the 800,000 federal workers who face a second paycheck at the end of this week should essentially borrow provisions to deal with what has become the longest government closure from the history of the United States.
know who they are, when they go shopping and everything else, "Trump said of federal workers at a meeting on trade at the White House. "And I think … that they will work with them. I know that banks work well. "
" And that's what happens in times like this, "Trump continued," they know people, they've been treating them for years and they're working. "
The apparent suggestion of Trump according to which local grocery stores would let fired federal employees take food as part of a debt acknowledgment had been given as an explanation for the comments made.Tuesday, Trade Secretary, Wilbur Ross, asked why federal workers who are not paid should go to the food banks to get help. "Ross, himself a millionaire, said workers should simply take out emergency loans to cover their living expenses.
"It's true that people might have to pay a little interest," said Ross. "But the idea that it's a" salary or zero "is not a really valid idea. "
These remarks were echoed Thursday by White House Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow, who congratulated federal employees for" volunteering "during the closure because they supported Trump.
"God bless them. They work for free. They volunteer, "Kudlow told reporters. "But they do it because they believe that government services are honorable and that they believe in President Trump and that they are working as hard as ever."
The closure shows no sign of premature end. Trump insists that he will veto any financing bill that does not include money for a wall along the southwestern border, an idea that Democrats of the United States Congress categorically rejected. On Thursday, two proposed funding measures failed in the Senate.
After the unsuccessful vote, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, dismissed the president's $ 5 billion request, while Trump said she was ready to accept a " proportional reduction ". payment "on the wall.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) met on Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol, but no details were forthcoming. been given on their agreement. discussing. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) rejected the compromise on the down payment.
"This is not a reasonable agreement among senators," Pelosi told CNN.
The frustration of federal employees and contractors continued to grow on Thursday. agencies such as the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which brings together the country's air traffic controllers, face "sick leave", low staffing levels and long hours for employees working without pay. 19659002] The National Air Traffic Controller Association issues a dramatic statement to the Air Line Pilots Association and the Association of Flight Attendants (CWA) ), warning that the closure of the facility could put the civil aviation system at a critical point. a risk-averse sector, we can not even calculate the level of risk currently at stake, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break, "said the unions. "This is unprecedented."
The current closure saves military salaries, but members of the Coast Guard, which reports to the Department of Homeland Security, work without pay. The coast guard said Thursday that families of guards currently deployed without pay would not receive a death benefit if they were killed in the line of duty during the closure.
Earlier this week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), an employee union said its members could not return to work during the tax season when closing down. they were facing financial difficulties, which could delay millions of tax refunds.
Trump's popularity was severely affected by the closure. 40% of registered voters approve their results in the latest Morning Consult survey. Morning Consult found that 49 percent of voters were responsible for closing Trump's door, compared to 35 percent who accuse Democrats in Congress.
In a separate poll organized by the CBS and closed on Jan. 21, 71 percent of those surveyed said the Trump Border Wall was not worth it to close the doors of the federal government.
While federal employees from across the country queued for food banks, borrowed, and rationed life-saving medications that allowed them to do without pay, Trump administration officials continued to insist on the fact that many federal employees support the closure.
"I love them," Trump told reporters on Thursday about federal workers. "I respect them, I really appreciate the great work that they do.Many of those who are not paid are totally in favor of what we do.Because they know that the future of this country depends on a solid border, especially a strong southern border. "
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