03/13/2026
It's official, we're (TSA) missing a paycheck. The last time I had a full paycheck was February 14th. The paycheck after that didn't even have five days on it before we shut down, so it wasn't even half a paycheck. I can't afford my mortgage, utilities, and car payment. If I'm unable to afford going into work, we're told we need to go to the doctor or bring in documentation or use our earned paid leave. We're told to take out loans, ask our families for financial support, open up credit cards, or use our credit cards. Most of us did that during the last shutdown. I pulled out my retirement funds during the last shutdown. There's no more money, yet I had to figure out how to feed myself and put gas in my car for a 45-minute drive to work. No one would work for free, but we're expected to.