Mary Becker has had to let go of many things to continue working as a transportation security officer — her savings, her 14-month-old daughter’s swim and gymnastics lessons and her sense of job stability.
What Becker once considered a sturdy government job has transformed into a headache as the recent partial government shutdown, which cut off pay to the Department of Homeland Security and by extension Transportation Security Administration workers, stretches into its 40th day. Though Becker still is expected to go into work, she won’t see a dime until the federal government determines she can.
The shutdown began Feb. 14 when Congress failed to reach an agreement on immigration enforcement reforms following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — U.S. citizens shot and killed by federal agents. The debate has continued along partisan lines, with each side blaming the other for the resulting callouts by TSA agents and the growing security lines at airports across the country…