A Maricopa man with nearly three decades of federal service says he has gone more than a month without a paycheck as ongoing funding issues ripple through Washington and into households across the country.

Owen Egan, 66, who lives in The Villages at Rancho El Dorado, is an employee of the Department of Homeland Security and has worked as a security official with the Transportation Security Administration since 2002. An Army veteran who began his federal career in the Military Police Corps, he is among thousands of federal workers affected by a lapse in government funding that has disrupted pay for certain agencies and contractors.

“For the past 28 years, I have dedicated my career to serving in the federal government. Now, due to the ongoing funding issues, I have not received a paycheck in over a month,” Egan said. “This has put me and my family in an incredibly difficult position.”

The missed paychecks stem from an ongoing partial federal shutdown that began Feb. 14, when Congress failed to pass a funding bill for DHS. Unlike broader shutdowns, this one affects primarily that department, leaving agencies like TSA without funding while much of the rest of the federal government continues operating normally.

As a result, TSA officers are still required to work but are not being paid.

Nationwide, tens of thousands of DHS employees are in the same position, with many missing multiple pay periods as negotiations stall in Washington.

The dispute centers on immigration policy, with lawmakers deadlocked over how to fund DHS and its enforcement agencies. Until a deal is reached, pay for affected workers remains frozen.

Egan said the financial toll has been immediate.

“With a mortgage, utilities, credit cards and four children to care for, the financial strain is overwhelming,” he said. “My retirement savings are nearly depleted, and I am struggling to afford even the basics like food and gas.”

While federal law has historically guaranteed backpay once funding is restored, that does little to help workers manage day-to-day expenses during the lapse.

“It’s hard to believe that after so many years of service, I would find myself in this situation, but Congress seems to see us as just an entity, not as real people with lives and families,” Egan said.

Egan has launched a fundraiser to help cover basic household expenses as the situation continues.

“The funds raised through this campaign will go directly toward covering our monthly expenses and making sure there is food on the table for my children,” he said. “Every dollar will help us keep up with bills and provide for our family’s most urgent needs while we wait for a resolution.”

Federal funding negotiations remain ongoing, with no confirmed timeline for when affected workers will receive their next paycheck.