FBI union president: ‘Utterly disgusting’ some agents depend on food donations during shutdown

The president of a union representing FBI agents on Wednesday called on President Trump and Congress to reach a deal to reopen the government, calling the circumstances leading to FBI agents being forced to use food banks during the furlough “utterly disgusting.”

In an appearance on CNN’s “New Day,” Tom O’Connor called the issue of work without pay for FBI agents and support staff a national security issue.

{mosads}”To me, that’s utterly disgusting that the FBI is in a position to have this happen,” O’Connor said Wednesday.

“The government should be opened up, the FBI should be fully funded, so that our efforts and our investigations can be completed to the best of our ability,” he added. “And that the FBI agents and support employees who are working every single day can be paid so they can take there of their families, and have less financial insecurity which we equate with national security in and of itself.”

FBI Agents Association president Tom O’Connor discusses a report from agents that a lack of funding during the shutdown is hurting their operations and says it’s “utterly disgusting” that some are depending on food in the office while they are unpaid. https://t.co/4VSEsTmen9 pic.twitter.com/gn3GQKVXQ3

— New Day (@NewDay) January 23, 2019

President Trump and lawmakers have battled for weeks over funding for the government. Trump has said he will not approve a spending bill that does not include $5 billion for the construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats have offered $1.3 billion in border security measures.

The partial government shutdown, which began in December, stretched into its 33rd day on Wednesday as thousands of government employees remained furloughed or working without pay.

Trump and Congress appear no closer to a deal, with the president threatening earlier this month to keep the federal government closed for “years” if Democrats do not comply with his demand for border wall funding.