The shutdown has also impacted Italians, particularly the 2,000 employees at the US military sites in Aviano (USAF) and Vicenza (US Army), who have yet to receive their October salaries. As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIFA) issued a statement at the request of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. "It has established communication both in Rome with the US Embassy and in Washington with the State Department to underscore the urgency of promptly identifying a solution, even if only temporary, regardless of the conclusion of the shutdown, which started on October 1st", explains the statement. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States' administrative impasse, the longest in American history, has already compelled about 750,000 federal employees to go on unpaid leave. Those mandated to provide crucial services continue to work without compensation until Congress approves the refinancing. The US Army and Air Force are discussing with the Pentagon the prospect of using their own funds to pay the salaries of Italian employees. The US Navy, on the other hand, has already guaranteed monthly pay to its civilian workers as a result of various budget management practices.