Shutdown passes one-week mark as Trump floats idea of no back pay, agencies brace for challenges

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- As the government shutdown stretches into a second week, more financial effects are being felt.

Flights are being delayed, food programs are at risk, and soon, military members could miss paychecks.

In addition, the President is now floating the idea of no back pay for furloughed employees.

Levi Marker is the executive director of Dryhootch. He works with other veterans and active-duty military, and told us, "Now you have all that added stress and you just want to take care of your family."

It's no mystery: missed paychecks will hurt the families willingly serving to protect the country.

Marker told us, "Any savings they have, they might need to tap that out. They don't want to touch the high interest loans. They might need to tap out their credit cards."

Active-duty troops must continue reporting for duty, but their October 15 paychecks will not be issued if the shutdown continues.

It's one of several impacts to emerge Tuesday.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates roughly 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed during the shutdown.

But Axios reports the administration is circulating a memo that furloughed federal employees are not entitled back pay.

From the White House, the President said, "It depends on who we're talking about." He added, "But for the most part we're going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of and we'll take care of them in a different way."

But he did not explain why some federal workers would not get back pay.

Air travel is also taking a hit as staffing issues set in.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, "This is having a great impact. Great concern, great stress on our system at a time when we're trying to reduce the stress."

The FAA said there are not enough air traffic controllers at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

At Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport, a spokesperson said they're not seeing any major flight impacts due to the shutdown.

But when we reached out to the FAA with specific staffing questions, an automated response read, "Due to a lapse in funding, the FAA is not responding to routine media inquiries."

Several federal websites are frozen amid the shutdown, though ICE's site still advertises a $50,000 signing bonus.

Elsewhere, the National WIC Association said the food program could run out of money within a week or two, but $150 million of contingency funds will be sent to state agencies that need help.

Milwaukee's Hunger Task Force said their food supply is strong right now, and "we're prepared to support our local pantry and meal program network in the event of any increased need resulting from disruptions to nutrition program funding."

Agencies and federal employees are left trying to hold on.

Marker said, "You just have to wake up, do your PT, put your boots on in the morning, and have faith in your government that it's all going to be worked out."

Marker said emotional support from the community can go a long way toward helping with the anxiety and emotional stress people are facing during this shutdown.

He said families may be overwhelmed if the paychecks stop and bills stack up, but it helps to bounce ideas off people and to not be alone.