Local U.S. Coast Guard employee receives emergency check amid continuing shutdown

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An emergency act has freed up funding to pay the 42,000 members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

But other federal workers including those in Homeland Security, TSA and the FBI continue to work without pay.

The government shutdown came at a bad time for members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

It started just before Christmas so April Forrest and her wife Eryn Roberts had to cut back on gift giving.

"We just moved from Wilmington, North Carolina so there's always additional stressors that are going on in people's lives and to have the threat of not having your expected income is sad," said Roberts.

Forrest works as a recruiter at the U.S. Coast Guard office in Northwest Fresno.

The couple was relieved to see a paycheck in their bank account on Monday.

"It's a one-time emergency payment. From my understanding the Chief Petty Officers Association of the Coast Guard really fought hard to make sure we got that one-time emergency payment. There's no guarantee we'll be paid on the 15th if this government is still shut down," Roberts said.

House Democrats are expected to introduce new bills on Thursday to try to end the stalemate in Washington DC.

"There's some Democrats out there who would be willing to provide money for wall/border security if we could deal with a DACA population," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina in a press conference.

"I hope there is a long-term spending bill cut. That this doesn't happen again. That there is a way for them to handle politics without people's pay being in jeopardy," Roberts said.

Funding for President Trump's wall along the US-Mexico border remains a holdup.

The new Democratic push isn't expected to include more money for the wall.