Tim Pearce | Energy Reporter
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) sued the Trump administration Monday for “essential” government employees being “forced” to work without pay.
Many federal employees designated as “essential” personnel are working through the government shutdown but might miss regular paychecks until Congress and President Donald Trump agree on a spending package.
The AFGE suit asserts “forcing” federal employees to work through the shutdown without regular paychecks is “inhumane” and illegal.
“Approximately 420,000 federal employees are continuing to work, but dont know when they will get their next paychecks,” Heidi Burakiewicz, a partner at the law firm of Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, said in a statement. “These employees still need to pay childcare expenses, buy gas, and incur other expenses to go to work every day and yet, they are not getting paid. It is a blatant violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.”
Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch is the law firm representing AFGE.
The federal government went into a partial shutdown Dec. 22, 2018, and continued into the new year. Republicans and Democrats are fighting over funding for Trumps $5.7 billion wall along the border with Mexico, which the president says is necessary to stem the flow of illegal immigration into the U.S. (RELATED: The Government Lost Billions More Bailing Out GM Than The $5.7 Billion Request For Wall Funding)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speak to the media ahead of a possible partial government shut down in Washington, U.S., December 20, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is leading the Democratic resistance to funding the border wall, called Trumps proposal “expensive and ineffective” and promised to kill any bill that would fund it.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
[contf] [contfnew] 
The daily caller
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
