Hawaii federal workers brace for shutdown's impacts if no weekend deal is reached

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

The federal government shut down as the clock struck midnight Friday, and if a deal isn't reached by the start of the workweek government services would see widespread impacts on Monday morning.

The Hawaii National Guard says about 1,000 personnel with the Active Guard Reserve will continue to report for duty, but may not be paid. 

Active-duty troops and FBI personnel will also keep working without paychecks, along with TSA screeners, air traffic controllers, health inspectors and law enforcement officers.

National parks, including Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala, will remain open but with reduced services.

"People are under the impression that airports will stop all these things will come to a screeching halt, but that's not going to happen," said U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii.

Hanabusa blames Republicans for the shutdown, but is actually optimistic the impasse will end as soon as Saturday.

Members of the House are set to reconvene at 9 a.m. 

Hanabusa is more concerned about what's not in the budget bill, such as extensions for Medicare and Medicaid and money for rural health programs.

"We have an extensive system of community health centers and that's what keeps our neighbor islands going and rural Oahu," Hanabusa said. "That wasn't even funded and that's a major issue for us."

"I'm a little upset," added Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii. "What we're presented with right now is the House bill that merely kicks the can down the road."

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, released the following statement:

“Nobody wins in a shutdown. It’s time for us to do the hard work of negotiating and compromise to keep critical government services going. I will continue to work for as long as it takes to solve this terrible problem.”

The last time the federal government shutdown was in 2013. Pearl Harbor shipyard workers were affected and non-essential civilian federal workers were furloughed. 

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