FBI employee representatives call for end of shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – The FBI agents association is appealing to Congress to end the shutdown and pay their salaries.

The organization that represents more than 13,000 FBI agents has released a report which they say provides details of how the partial government shutdown creates additional risks in their jobs.

Leaders of the FBIAA say in addition to paychecks the lack of funding affects daily operations. For example, there’s a prohibition on booking air travel and paying informants.

While board members would not say the country is less safe they emphasized that it is harder for agents to do their jobs.

In addition, the organization says the shutdown is making it harder to recruit and retain FBI agents.

President of the FBI Agents Association, Tom O’Conner, said, “The failure to fund the FBI is making it more difficult for us to do our jobs to protect the people of our country from criminals and terrorists. This is not about politics or partisanship. As I have said, special agents are working and are committed to protecting our country, but we need funding to do our work.”