Our current political situation is laughably horrific. 

The two political parties in Congress — Republicans and Democrats — are behaving like children squabbling on a playground. As a result of their belligerent behavior, the playground is now closed. 

We will all have to live with the consequences, but our federal employees will be hit hardest by the closure.

While this is a simplified explanation of the current state of affairs, it’s also a painfully accurate metaphor.

As of Oct. 1 at 12:01 a.m., the federal government entered a shutdown.

The basic reason for the shutdown is that Congress is at a standstill on the passage of the federal budget. Due to conflicting views on how to allocate the budget, Congress adopted the convention of approving it on a year-by-year basis. They were set to vote on this upcoming year’s budget by Sept. 30, but due to their inability to come to a compromise, funding was not approved.

Without this approved budget, our federal government cannot continue normal operations.

If you ask Republicans, Democrats are to blame, since they’re forcing a gridlock as a way to fight President Donald Trump. If you ask Democrats, Republicans are to blame, as they’re refusing to provide funding for necessities like healthcare subsidies.

The fact of the matter is it is now Oct. 20, and a resolution has yet to be presented. 

We can continue finger-pointing, as some government officials are doing, but endlessly blaming each other is ultimately useless. It only distracts from the real issue at hand: Our government is shut down with no reopening date in sight.

As a result of our government continuing to keep its windows shuttered, millions of federal workers are — and already have been  — facing financial insecurity.

When our government shuts down, federal employees bear the brunt of the fallout. They are the first to deal with the real consequences, as it affects their everyday lives. 

The first step during a government shutdown is to classify all federal employees as either essential or nonessential workers. If an employee is essential, they will be required to continue working without pay. If an employee is nonessential, they will be furloughed — a mandatory and temporary leave of absence without pay.

You may think this won’t affect too many people; however, your fears should quickly mount when you realize the U.S. government has around 4.5 million federal employees. That’s 4.5 million people who are placed in a strange, unpaid limbo.

Ironically, congressional members are exempt from these rules and will continue to be paid unless they voluntarily choose to defer their payment.

In the interim, an estimated 750,000 federal employees will be placed on furlough for every day the government remains closed.

There is a small consolation in the fact that federal workers will see a paycheck in the mail eventually. Legally, all federal employees are ensured pay for this time of upheaval, regardless of whether they are classified as essential or nonessential workers. Unfortunately, this back pay will not be sent out until after the government reopens.

Moreover, the White House is not helping to alleviate the stress felt by federal employees. With the declaration of imminent mass layoffs and Trump’s framing of the shutdown as an “opportunity,” “furloughed” starts to sound dangerously close to “fired.” 

While there haven’t been any layoffs during the shutdown, the threat is still looming overhead.

To be frank, not paying your workers in a timely manner is highly disrespectful. To threaten layoffs further adds insult to injury. 

As the shutdown drags on, the first pay period continues its daunting march forward. For active-duty military service members — about 1.25 million people — the date of the first full missed paycheck was Oct. 15. For the rest of the federal employees — about 3.25 million people — that date is Oct. 24.

At the end of the day, our federal employees do not know if they are going to be paid in the near future. Instead, they are left in a financially stressful situation.

With a large portion of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, it’s safe to say there are at least a few federal workers who are worried about when their next paychecks are going to arrive. They’re anxious to know whether they will have enough money in their bank account to pay for rent or their children’s food.

The last government shutdown lasted for 35 days. This one could last just as long — or even longer. 

For our federal employees, this isn’t a fun vacation. This is a stress-inducing nightmare. They do not have true job security. In its place, they have a weird middle ground and an unknown future.

In the future, to safeguard against government shutdowns and guarantee our federal workers continue to receive their pay, an automatic continuing resolution should be implemented. This continuing resolution would be based on the prior year’s funding and would only be put in place if Congress failed to agree on a new budget. While this plan does have its downfalls — namely its disregard for changing policy needs and continued funding for inefficient programs — it’s better than our current alternative. 

It’s better than forcing our federal workers to face financial hardship.

Gabriela Gomez is a biomedical sciences senior and opinion writer for The Battalion.