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Local family says they're at risk for going into debt from government shutdown

ATLANTA — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history could end today. But it's not likely.

Today, the Senate is set to vote on two bills that could reopen the government. But neither bill is expected to reach 60 votes for approval.

Lawmakers need to reach an agreement soon because 800,000 federal workers are set to miss another paycheck Friday.

Channel 2 Action News spoke to one local worker tells who said he's on the verge of going into debt over the shutdown.

"We’re going to be put into debt over something I have no control over,” said Craig Moses.

Moses is an engineering technician for air traffic control at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. He’s furloughed and at the worst possible time. That's because he is in the process of selling a house and buying a new one in Athens.

"I mean, we're cutting back every which way trying to make the two ends meet,” Moses said. “I’m picking up odd jobs here in town just trying to put food on the table."

Moses is one of as many of 16,000 federal workers in Georgia who are making emergency plans because of the partial government shutdown.

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“We stand the risk of losing this new home very soon if I’m not able to produce income,” Moses said.

For another local federal worker, the longer the government shutdown continues, the more panic sets in.

Indya Thomas works for the IRS and said her last paycheck showed no income.

"I didn't want to be put out on the streets, you know, if it had to come to that point, so I knew I needed help," Thomas told Channel 2 Action News. 

Federal employees said their message to lawmakers is simple.

"We have bills, we have families to feed, just reopen the government, you know, so that we can do our jobs and get paid for the jobs that we're doing,” Thomas said.

There's also about 1,000 GoFundMe campaigns set up for federal workers. A GoFundMe official said so far, they've raised about $200,000.