I'll ask my federal employee wife. Or maybe one of my federal employee siblings. Or maybe my federal employee friend with whom my kids carpool to school.
Yes, it will be tough for a while for those who didn't put money away for a rainy day (luckily we did) but lets not kid ourselves... they are all being told in their meetings (by their department heads) to enjoy their time off (if it happens) and that the back pay will come eventually when things quiet down (just like last time). They are actually discussing whether the back pay will be hidden in the form of an even higher bonus at the end of the year or if it will in the form of extra vacation days that can then be "sold" back to the government.
I’m a 4-year active duty veteran, and a 33-year federal (DOD) employee, retired sine 1997. My daughter is not a vet. She works for the same agency that I did. She recently finished her third deployment to Bagram Air Field Afghanistan. I hope this helps her avoid the axe that will fall on DOD’s neck.