I am writing with regard to the partial government shutdown, which has now gone on longer than any other in history. I am a Transportation Security Administration agent and an officer of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2617, which represents TSA employees across Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

On Jan. 11, our members did not receive a paycheck despite being expected to work through the shutdown, which shows no sign of ending soon. Our members, who already bear the burden of high-stress work, now must endure financial stress as their families are faced with unbelievably tough decisions.

For some, it has become a choice between paying their overdue bills or simply putting food on the table for their families. For others, they have to choose between going to work in a job they love or staying home because they can’t afford to pay for day care.

Our message to Sen. Susan Collins is simple. End the government shutdown and end it now. Don’t hurt the people who are put in place to protect the nation. Don’t hold us hostage to a political debate totally unrelated to the job we want to do, and continue to do without pay. A continued shutdown would be a disaster for too many families in Maine.

Bill Reiley

vice president, AFGE Local 2617

Alfred