PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The current government shutdown officially became the second-longest in U.S. history as it entered its 22nd day, with federal workers now facing their first missed paychecks and no resolution in sight.
House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed Democrats during a morning press conference, calling the party "shameful" and saying Democrats had manufactured the shutdown.
WATCH: TSA workers represented by AFGE Local 558 say they are struggling
Democrats are withholding their votes until Republicans agree to extend expiring health insurance subsidies, while Republican lawmakers and the White House refuse to negotiate until the government reopens.
At Palm Beach International Airport, TSA workers represented by AFGE Local 558 say they are struggling as the shutdown takes its toll on federal employees.
"How we're going to get to work if we don't have the gas money to put gas in our cars?" said Mickey Alston, vice president of PBI Airport and AFGE Local 558 Women's Fair Practices Coordinator.
The situation is about to worsen for these workers.
"Saturday, the officers are going to have a paycheck of zero," said John Hubert, president of AFGE Local 558.
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The government shutdown is starting to bite at US airports
Healthcare at center of stalemate
The workers stood alongside Democratic representatives Lois Frankel and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, calling on Republicans to end the government shutdown. Healthcare remains the main reason for the political stalemate.
"We will not vote for a budget that cuts millions of people out of health care," Frankel said.
Democrats are pushing for an extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies.
"Florida has the most people on the ACA in the country," Frankel said.
"Without the ACA subsidies, it's going to be over $1,500 a month," Cherfilus-McCormick said.
Carl Cascio, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republicans, believes healthcare discussions should happen after the government reopens with a short-term continuing resolution.
"Then let's sit down under normal conditions and negotiate what needs to be done," Cascio said.
Both parties point fingers
When asked whether their respective parties bear responsibility for the shutdown, both local political leaders defended their positions.
"The onus is on the Republicans to try to do a workaround so that we don't have catastrophic closures of key functioning parts of our federal government. Other than that, no," Cascio said.
"We've been coming to work. Speaker of the House has not called the session in weeks. We have a president who's willing to talk to Putin, he's willing to talk to Hamas, but he's not willing to talk to us," Frankel said.
Republican Representative Brian Mast criticized Democrats in a statement, saying: "Did they vote to fund the government? No. Will they vote to pay TSA or any other federal workers? No. Will they vote to pay the military? No. Democrats need to stop using the very workers they are refusing to pay for political points. Enough is enough."
Frankel responded to Mast's criticism.
"First of all, that's his opinion. If they put a bill on the floor and brought a safe to vote to pay for federal workers, I can guarantee you I would vote for that," Frankel said.
But until both sides come together, federal workers continue to face uncertainty.
"Everybody is worried about what's going to happen next," Hubert said. "We just need to get paid."
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