Starting Friday, federal workers will be getting their first paychecks for smaller-than-usual amounts because of the shutdown. That is likely to especially sting federal employees who have to show up to work despite the shutdown.

Among those workers are TSA agents and air traffic controllers, who have shown in the past that they can influence how long a shutdown lasts by not showing up to work.

Now, to be clear, “air traffic controllers don't start a shutdown, and air traffic controllers don't end a shutdown,” points out Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

After all, that’s Congress’ job. But Daniels said air traffic controllers were already dealing with staffing shortages and equipment issues — and another shutdown with no pay has them angry.

The union is telling everyone to keep coming to work, but some may decide not to, per Erik Hansen, senior vice president of government relations with the U.S. Travel Association.

“If you look at previous shutdowns, it's really been travel delays and safety concerns that have shut down previous shutdowns,” he said.

Famously, in 2019, TSA agents stopped coming to work, because they literally ran out of money to live, said Johnny Jones, a TSA officer working out of Dallas-Fort Worth who’s a local president with the American Federation of Government Employees.

“Only in America can you work for the federal government and go to work every day or even get sent home against your will and then say, ‘Hey, we're just not going to pay you. No big deal,’” he said.

Jones added that they don’t want to be political pawns in a shutdown, but folks have to make calculations of just how long they can last without pay.