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The United States has reached day 26 in the partial government shutdown. That means some 420,000 federal employees whose work is declared essential are working without pay, including at the FBI, TSA and other federal law enforcement offices.

Some staff at the State and Homeland Security departments are also working without compensation.

Some federal workers are even taking on odd jobs to make ends meet. They have more options than in past shutdowns.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada will serve on the House Committee on Education and Labor, a panel she said she would use to improve public education in Nevada and "tackle skyrocketing student loan debt."

"I have spent my career working to improve Nevada's public education system and help students reach their fullest potential," Lee said in a statement.

Lee said the committee also oversees "investment in workforce development and job training, which will provide Nevada workers with the skills and tools they need to succeed in today's economy."

A group of federal workers gathered in the Henderson office of U.S. Rep. Susie Lee on Saturday afternoon to share the impacts that the government shutdown, which has now lasted more than three weeks, has had on their lives.

While many employees said their pay had been unaffected, Transportation Security Administration agent Becky Esquivel said she and other airport security officers at McCarran International Airport are directly affected by the shutdown because they aren't getting paid.

"And we are the lowest-paid federal officers, period," Esquivel said.