A prominent defender of the federal workforce on Wednesday panned lawmakers for not yet resolving the longest-ever government shutdown.
Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, told reporters that agencies can’t function properly without stable funding. As the spending stop hit Day 36, the government’s ability to handle immediate and later problems is in jeopardy as many federal employees work without pay or have been sent home on furlough.
“Our future capacity is going to be diminished substantially, and you’re going to see that across the board,” said Stier, referencing air traffic controllers, doctors for the Veteran Affairs Department and food inspectors. The funding lapse has eaten away at energy and environmental agencies, too, as national parks stop collecting fees and oversight of nuclear weapons is threatened.
“So many of the functions of our government are highly skilled professionals that require long-term investment, both in recruiting and developing the talent, and those processes have been interrupted,” he said.
