Thousands are feeling the effects of the government shutdown (Twitter @TheEconomist).

While Congress squabbles over the use federal funds, thousands of government workers have been furloughed and do not know when they can return to work.

Lori Cary-Kothera, a physical scientist and digital coast coordinator with the Department of Commerce, is outraged.

“It makes me angry,” Cary-Kothera said. “This is a pure political game that is being played out right now. Washington has lost sight of the people it is supposed to be protecting.”

Cary-Kothera has worked with the government for 15 years, and her job focuses on coastal management in Charleston, S.C. At the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center, she conducts field research and believes her work is essential in creating resources that improve people’s lives. 

“I think if they could see what federal employees do and how they really are connected to so many things Americans care about, they would feel much differently about this entire situation,” she said.

But since the shutdown, she has been forced to take an impromptu break. Cary-Kothera tries to remain upbeat and take advantage of her free time.

“The first day, I went into the office and shut down the work stations, tied up emails and set the phone message,” she said. “It was a little hard to switch gears because I was a bit distracted. Yesterday, I went to the beach, and today I’m working on a quilt that I will donate to a sick or needy child. Giving back is a way to stay positive and keep the bitterness out.”

Cary-Kothera was shocked to hear about the shutdown and that none of the congressional leaders stood up to defend the thousands of federal employees that would be affected.

While the two parties continue to go back and forth, Cary-Kothera is not optimistic they will come to a resolution quickly. 

“If the GOP-Tea Party fraction had cared, they wouldn’t have shut the government down,” she said. “They are in it for the long haul. It seems unlikely that a compromise is going to be made in the near future.”

Many of these furloughed employees are living paycheck to paycheck and have no other means of income. With no clues as to when a decision will be reached, Congress has left them all wondering what to do next.

However, Cary-Kothera counts herself among the lucky ones.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” she said. “My husband works for a university, so we still have income coming in. We are more fortunate than many others.”

Reach Staff Reporter Gabi Duncan here. Follow her on Twitter.