FBI Agents Say Partial Government Shutdown Is Hurting Operations

With the partial government shutdown entering its second month, many federal agencies have been hit hard by its effects — and the FBI is no exception. 

In the FBI Agents Association's latest report, dozens of anonymous FBI agents gave their firsthand accounts of how the lack of funding has hindered their work.

Agents' accounts range from having to postpone important training sessions to not being able to pay confidential informants. Other issues include agents not being able to purchase narcotics for drug busts and not being able to help local law enforcement in their investigations.

The organization's president, Thomas O'Connor, spoke about the more personal toll the shutdown has had on employees during a news conference Tuesday.

"Every family in the FBI has mortgages, car payments, bills that come in at the end of the month, and you have to pay those out. Try doing that without a paycheck," O'Connor said. "No one can work without a paycheck, right? You can't sustain, the government can't sustain and we can't sustain."

The report urges government leaders to quickly find a way to fund the Justice Department "before financial insecurity compromises national security."

The Justice Department has yet to comment on the report.

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.