Fifteen days into the government shutdown, there is still no sign of meaningful progress in Congress. This week, federal law enforcement officers and agents received their first reduced paycheck. If the shutdown isn’t resolved by the next pay period, they won’t receive a paycheck at all.
Law enforcement is already one of the most dangerous and stressful professions in America. Adding the burden of working without pay only compounds the strain on those who continue to put their lives on the line to protect this country. Unlike other federal employees who may be furloughed, most federal law enforcement officers are considered “essential” and must report for duty paid or not.
As National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, I have spoken with members across the country. Some fear this shutdown may become the longest in history. While a number of officers and agents have the savings to temporarily absorb the financial hit, many do not, especially newly hired personnel and uniformed officers at the GS-5 through GS-9 levels, where salaries are already low relative to the risks and responsibilities of the job.
Imagine going to work every day to confront violent criminals, protect the courts, transport dangerous fugitives, secure sensitive facilities, or enforce immigration laws while also worrying about how to pay your mortgage or keep food on the table. That kind of stress does not stay at home; it follows you onto the streets, into the courthouse, and into dangerous encounters. It adds to the mental health concerns that are already prevalent in our profession.
At the same time, crime across the country continues to escalate in both frequency and violence. Federal law enforcement agencies are being stretched thin to keep up with threats involving gangs, drugs, human trafficking, and terrorism. And despite their sacrifice and professionalism, many of our officers and agents are vilified in the media and targeted in the streets particularly those serving in Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These men and women are enforcing the laws passed by Congress, yet they are too often treated as political pawns instead of public servants.
Now they are being asked to do it without pay. I struggle to think of another profession in this country where employees would be required to work indefinitely under those circumstances. But across the federal government, thousands of law enforcement professionals are doing exactly that, not because they can afford to, but because they took an oath and refuse to abandon their mission.
That sense of duty should not be exploited. I am urging the United States Senate to come together and reopen the government. In our homes and in our workplaces, Americans find compromise every single day. Congress must do the same. Pass a funding bill. End the shutdown. Allow the men and women who protect this nation to continue their work without being financially punished for doing their jobs.
Public safety should never be collateral damage in a political stalemate.
Mathew Silverman
National President, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
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