ATLANTA — Lawmakers will not vote today on reopening the federal government due to the Columbus Day holiday.
The U.S. Senate adjourned last week for a long holiday weekend, and senators are expected to vote tomorrow on bills to fund and reopen the government.
A live look at Capitol Hill shows we are nearing day 13 of the government shutdown.
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So far, neither side has indicated it is willing to budge on the central issue, which is whether lawmakers will maintain Obamacare subsidies.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began shutdown-related firings, including hundreds at the CDC.
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However, the federal government is rushing to rehire workers who are considered critical.
Channel 2’s Richard Elliot is working to learn more about rehiring efforts, coming up in the second half of Channel 2 Action News at 4.
Among various federal agencies affected by the ongoing government shutdown, employees at the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have faced repeated layoffs and rehiring.
Aryn Backus, a health communications specialist at the CDC, has been fired and rehired three times during the shutdown, highlighting the uncertainty faced by employees.
“We don’t want to be thrust into this political spotlight,” Backus told Elliot. “Public health works best in the background when nobody knows that it’s working.”
The Trump administration warned last week that a continued government shutdown could lead to permanent layoffs.
On Friday, approximately 1,300 CDC employees were informed they no longer had jobs, only for many to be reinstated within 24 hours due to the essential nature of their roles.
Backus shared her disappointment, telling Channel 2 Action News that CDC employees feel like political pawns amid the shutdown.
With the shutdown nearing the end of a second week, CDC employees continue to face uncertainty, with more disruptions possible if the situation remains unresolved.
The Senate is set to reconvene tomorrow to address the funding bills.
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