‘The stress is just always there,’ as thousands of FAA workers go without paycheck

Washington (CNN) — For certain workers at the Federal Aviation Administration, the government shutdown hit hardest this week with a $0 paycheck.

It’s “disheartening,” to not be paid by an employer, said Cleverson Schmidt, a radar technician based in Washington, DC.

“I’m trying to stay level, and I’m praying I don’t get a heart attack or stroke,” he said.

His job, which he is required to do even though he is not being paid, includes certifying aircraft systems for controllers to use. The equipment has to be flawless, he said. It’s how controllers make air traffic decisions with planes full of hundreds of passengers.

His family mostly relies on his income, as his wife works part-time and stays home with their son.

It broke Schmidt’s heart as a father to tell his son a month ago that he