'Everybody Has To Leave The Table A Little Unhappy,' Attorney On Ending Government Shutdown

GARDEN CITY, NY — There is no signal as to when the federal shutdown will end.

On Thursday, President Trump said the shutdown is an "unprecedented opportunity" to make major cuts to agencies, the New York Times reported.

Democrats want any spending bill to include extending the Affordable Health Care Act for Americans.

"I guess the Republicans are saying we should deal with it separately and not in the funding bill," said Long Island-based attorney Jon Bell, an expert on federal employee litigation. "It seems to be that's the source of the current shutdown."

Bell estimates there are 31,000 federal employees who "could be furloughed or forced to work without pay."

Among the departments scrambling since this week's shutdown went into effect is the National Park Service, which oversees the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, where Theodore Roosevelt had his Summer White House.

The park grounds, trails, parking lots, roads, picnic area and outdoor restrooms at Sagamore Hill are open. Any tours would likely be impacted throughout the length of the shutdown.

Essential government workers "are going to be forced to work without getting paid during their normal pay schedule," Bell told Patch.

Given the most recent shutdown in 2018-19 set a record as the longest in history, Bell can't predict how long this will last.

"The problem is, there is such vitriol on both sides. Unfortunately, it has come to a point where people don't want to negotiate anymore," he said. "There's really no compromises and that's the problem with the current government."

Based on the political climate on Capitol Hill, Bell is concerned that "it really can go on for a long time."

However, the lawyer is cautiously optimistic that "both parties come to their senses" and that "hopefully this won't go on for a month," Bell said.

Once the shutdown ends, all federal workers will receive all owed back pay.

"Then really, who gets ripped off?" Bell asked. "The taxpayers, because we're paying for these services [and] we're not getting them. We have to pay for them at the end of the day."

Bell, who worked for years in union negotiation cases, said they have to want to make a deal.

"Everybody has to leave the table a little unhappy," Bell said. "You lock yourself in that room. You give them no food or no water. I'm smiling when I say it, but that's the only way."