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Florida Dems Mucarsel-Powell, Wasserman Schultz, Shalala Call For End To Government Shutdown

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Three Democratic congresswomen are calling for an end to the government shutdown affecting workers at Miami International Airport.

"We can't pay our rent. We can't pay our bills. We can't pay our childcare," TSA employee John Hubert said.

Beyond the airport, the partial government shutdown over a dispute about border security is impacting other federal workers too.

"I'm holding off on paying big bills. When am I going to get another check?," U.S. Census employee Ramiro Rodriguez said.

Congresswomen Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Donna Shalala blames President Trump and Senate Republicans during a news conference at MIA.

Some lawmakers have decided to stop taking paychecks since workers have not been paid. CBS 4 asked the three congresswomen if they decided to give up their checks temporarily.

"I have not chosen to do that, at this moment. All of us are committed to paying these workers to making sure they get back pay," Congresswoman Shalala said.

U.S. Senators left Capitol Hill. Since the three congresswomen returned to South Florida Friday, CBS 4 wanted to know if their work would be effective here rather than Washington.

Congresswoman Schultz told us the House lawmakers, led by Democrats, have tried to get bills through to President Trump to get workers paid now. However, she blames Republican Senate leadership for refusing to look at the bills.

"Let Mitch McConnell put it on the floor and see what happens. The reason he isn't? It's because he knows it will pass and it will go to the president and he doesn't want to put the president in an uncomfortable position," Wasserman Schultz said.

This partial shutdown is having impacts on workers who don't work for the federal government.

"If there's no TSA, then there's no us," Destiny Taylor said.

Taylor works concessions at MIA where the starting rate is $8.50 an hour, according to her union representative. Since the airport is closing Terminal G over the weekend since an increased number of TSA workers have been calling out sick, that's forcing businesses inside the terminal to close and leaving workers without heavily needed hours.

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