Government employees explain the impact a shutdown of the federal government would have on the state of Illinois and its citizens during a protest in downtown Chicago.
Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday remained confident that a looming shutdown of the federal government would be averted.
"I'm confident that President Obama will -- hopefully -- get the members of the Congress, in the House, to understand how important it is to have our federal government at full tilt," Quinn said during a press event to announce a major construction project.
Still, he said the state has to be prepared for the possibility.
"We always have to pay attention," he said.
At a protest in Chicago's Federal Plaza, government employees warned that a shutdown of the federal government would have a "rolling effect" on Illinois and its citizens.
"As programs, such an unemployment run out of funds, the state of Illinois is going to be forced to lay off its own staff and stop issuing unemployment checks," said Brent Barron, who was marching with the American Federation of Government Employees, citing just one ramification.
