Rob Hoss is an air traffic controller in Tampa. So is his wife.
"My wife and I are both not getting paid this paycheck, so it hits twice as hard," said Hoss. "I have a mortgage. I have day care that I have to pay."
That's the way it is for so many federal airport workers, and some of them too part in a news conference at Tampa International Airport to voice their concerns. They're angry that the president and lawmakers, they say, have dug in their heels in a political tug-of-war at the expense of federal employees.
In spite of the lack of pay, transportation security officer Ralph Velez says most of those individuals are on the job anyway, keeping travelers safe.
"We continue to show up to work because we know what's at stake," said Velez.
"If we don't come to work, we're going to have another 9-11. That's the bottom line."
(Photo: Sharon Parker, NewsRadio WFLA)