in place.
Both of my parents were federal employees before they retired and I work in government as well but not at the federal level. Some things to keep in mind:
1. A lot of people in government do very specialized work that requires, in some cases, years or even decades of training. They choose to do those jobs because they love them and they often take pay cuts to do it. If you've spent 25 years working as an air traffic controller, you're not going to quit your job and get an equivalent one with a private air traffic controlling firm. More or less the *only* place you can do the job you love is in government. Same if you're an environmental compliance officer or park ranger or customs inspector or congressional staffer or intelligence analyst. Yes, you can find a private industry job with some overlap of skills but not with the same sense of public service warm fuzzies that you get from working in government.
2. There has never been a US government shutdown in history where employees did not get back pay when the budget was finally approved. The TSA agents quitting or "sick-outting" are likely young and recent employees who don't understand this. People with substantial experience are not going to risk a career they spent years building because they miss one or two paychecks (but know they will get paid eventually for). 99% of federal employees are going to suck it up and ride this out because they know how it works.
3. Working in government builds a very strong sense of being part of a team and not wanting to be the one to let that team down. Like nurses, teachers, cops and firemen, it takes *a lot* to get them to walk away from their duties because they understand what the consequences will be if they do. With all due respect to your freelance writing job, people aren't going to die or be put at significant risk of harm if you refuse to hand over your work on deadline.
So yes, I guess maybe Trump and/or the Republican "leadership" might fold a few seconds faster than they otherwise will if the air traffic controllers walk out. But they are never going to do it for the reasons discussed above. And Mitch McConnell is going to fold anyway - sooner rather than later.
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