IRS worker Christine Helquist joins a federal workers protest rally outside the Federal Building, Thursday, Jan., 10, 2019, in Ogden, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
OGDEN – The President announced a deal that would reopen the federal government, bringing federal employees back to work. However, some IRS workers in Ogden say they aren’t celebrating, yet.
The government has funding through February 15th, but what happens after that? Employees like Nic Trujillo were called into work without pay, and even knowing he’ll get back pay doesn’t bring him much comfort.
“It just adds to the stress because we don’t know when we’re going to get paid for the services that we’ve already done,” he says.
He says he’s angry with President Trump for the shutdown, and he believes the reaction from Nany Pelosi crossed into childish.
“We’re just continuing to be used as pawns,” Trujillo adds.
Some employees qualified for unemployment insurance, but that only provides 20 percent of a person’s salary. Trujillo was able to get some payments, but, he will have to give it back when he gets paid.
Other IRS employees like Krystle Kirkpatrick say they’ll try to be optimistic, but, they have serious doubts about the government’s ability to prevent another shutdown from happening in three weeks.
Kirkpatrick says, “They’ve had six weeks now. We’re on our sixth week of shutdown to figure this out. If they haven’t figured this out in six seeks, what difference is three going to make?”
In the meantime, she says lawmakers should do nothing but finding a solution to prevent another one.
“I don’t want them to go home and visit their families. I don’t want them to go on vacation,” she adds.