WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FBI Agents Association President Reynaldo Tariche issued the following statement today:
“FBI Special Agents continue to do their jobs every day during the government shutdown to protect the public from criminal and national security threats. They are doing so without pay (Agents will not receive their salaries until the government reopens) because of their dedication to this country and to their jobs.
However, it’s simply outrageous that, under The Antideficiency Act, a Special Agent who is hurt in the line of duty during the shutdown must be immediately furloughed. The injured Agent is furloughed because, under the Act, Federal Agents must report to duty in order to be paid when the government reopens. This is worth repeating: An Agent’s reward for putting his or her life on the line to protect the public during the government shutdown is to be put on non-paid furlough status if hurt in the line of duty. Because sick leave cannot be used during the shutdown the only recourse is for the Agent to file for workers’ compensation under the Federal Employees Compensation Act, which can be a long and arduous process.
Agents and other Bureau employees who are currently ill or recovering from injuries and cannot report to work are considered furloughed during the government shutdown. The families of these Agents in many cases have no other sources of income except for the paid sick leave that their loved ones accrued while on the job. We are hearing reports of families of sick or injured Agents who face financial ruin and uncertainty because of the shutdown.
The FBI Agents Association calls on Congress and the White House to address this issue immediately for the thousands of dedicated Agents and their families who faithfully and effectively serve the United States each and every day.”
About the FBIAA - The FBIAA is a professional association with a membership of nearly 12,000 active and retired agents nationwide. The FBIAA was founded over three decades ago in response to the growing recognition that agents needed to join together in order to protect and advance the interests of agents both within the Bureau, as well as in the public domain. The FBIAA works diligently to promote and facilitate the intelligent, skillful, and efficient discharge of the professional duties of all FBI agents. The Association works hard to advance and safeguard the careers, economic interests, conditions of employment, and welfare of active and retired FBI agents.
Read FBIAA’s new report Voices from the Field that provides FBI Agents’ first-hand accounts of the impact of budget cuts on daily operations and investigations.
