As the federal government shutdown continues, essential workers are required to remain on the job, even though they might miss some paychecks. Those include employees of the Transportation Security Administration.
NPR reports that, while they are required to report to work, some have called off sick during past shutdowns since they were asked to work with no pay.
Springfield-Branson National Airport spokesperson Ren Lueberring said in a statement to KSMU they’ve "connected with federal entities who work at the airport, and we anticipate no interruption to operations at SGF. Passengers should not experience any change to their travels at Springfield-Branson National Airport." She added that they hope the federal government shutdown ends swiftly.
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield's trails are open, but its visitor center is closed to the public. When a call is placed to the site, callers receive this message: "Due to the current lapse in federal government appropriations, we are currently out of the office on furlough and unable to respond to any messages at this time. We will respond to your messages as soon as possible once funding has been restored and normal operations resume."
And a spokesperson for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department told KSMU in an email that the full impacts of the federal government shutdown are not yet known for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and local health agencies.
But Anna Kremer said programs that utilize federal funding remained fully operational as of Wednesday afternoon. Those include WIC and immunization programs like Vaccines for Children and the 317 program.
She said, "any changes in operation and/or community impacts will be promptly communicated with the public."
