US Government shutdown

[Snowdrop13]

Headline news in the UK this morning- this sounds bad, how will it affect you guys?

 

[MarionC]

It doesn’t really. Even the mail keeps coming, and the military is paid through next month.
It’s politics.
Some government workers may not get paid if it continues but they will be paid retroactively.

 

[ksinger]

Immediately? Not much. But it's kinda like cancer. Starts small, can't feel it at first, but over time you start feeling crappy. The effects will be felt, but don't expect a big splashy instantaneous crisis, because that's not how these things work.

My 2 cents? One thing that comes immediately to my mind is the FAA won't be able to certify pilots. They'll be able to get their physicals, but no one will be at CAMI (the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute) to sign off on them. The longer it goes on, the more effect that inability will have on the flying public. Also at CAMI, the forensics lab will be shut, so crash investigations, and some other types of law enforcement investigations, will be halted indefinitely. Flight Inspection is, I think, declared essential to the DOD, so maybe they'll still be working, but whether they'll be working for anyone but DOD I'm not sure. Regardless, without someone back of the house at the FAA to actually make use of the information they collect? Whoopty friggin' doo. And I'm pretty sure instrument procedure development stops too.

I knew so many federal folks who hated the government out of one side of their mouths, while sucking at the government teat with the other, without the least sense of the irony of their position. I sincerely hope they don't get one single dime of back pay on this shut down. It's time for long-time federal workers who've forgotten what it was like, if they even ever knew, to understand the level of uncertainty and stress that the rest of us have lived with for so long.

That said, I hope but have little expectation, that they will get this hammered out sooner rather than later. However, if it goes on, then I suspect it will be hung around the Republicans' necks, where it belongs.

 

[FinleysMom]

Pretend it is Y2K

FM

 

[MarionC]

Trump just said the shutdown was orchestrated to overshadow the anniversary of his inauguration (((sigh)))

 

[ksinger]

Oh dear! You mean it will detract from the weeks-long of planned festivities for Il Trumpe??

 

[Arcadian]

Headline news in the UK this morning- this sounds bad, how will it affect you guys?

means I don't have to work

I am not a government employee, but work within the fed at a high enough level were this shut down does affect me and the people I work with. This includes federal law enforcement (who will be working through this shutdown) and firefighters (ditto), scientists.

The area of government that I work the majority of the time is understaffed and under budgeted. I serve all regions of the US. I work 70-80 hour weeks and paid for 40. I do it because those in the field depend on me to be their eyes and ears in DC, they depend on me to get the tools needed to operate in the field and with the public. Some of what I do is public facing, some is not. I also work with other agencies when called to do so.

As of this moment, furlough is only for those who are considered non-essential. Essential people will continue to work, so LE and firefighters and some scientists. And even though I work with a ton of essential people, I am not allowed to log into government networks at this time. I'm not allowed to do government business period, even on non government issued phones or computers.
Basically if any of the people who depend on me have questions, even in an emergency situation, or something breaks, they're kinda SOL. If I were to disobey such a direct order, I could be fined 5k per occurrence or even jailed up to 2 years.

I don't talk about what I do considering whom we have in office and the volatility of that and the people who I work with directly under him, but I will tell you this; Regardless of who is in office who is in majority, many of us don't agree with everything they do, no matter who the president is and no one is immune to that. We are, after all, citizens too. But, the majority of us don't sit on our asses hating the government either. And many of us, contractor or not, work to make the government better if its within our power to do so. Sometimes its not (lets be realistic), and that's like any other job.

I intentionally sit on my hands in some threads because of WIWW. Do I agree with everything 45 does? No, and I make that very clear. But there's not one president I agreed with 100% either. They all do silly shit, this one probably more than others.

I think some of y'all need to remember that also the IRS will not be working. This is their season so to speak and new guidelines have not yet went out. For those expecting a refund, depending on how long the government is shut down, don't expect it to happen right away.

I can't tell you how many times I've been told to make due because there's no money to do anything else, even though systems were falling apart, or earmarked funds got moved to somewhere else, or the times where they moved budget and I'm the one that had to sit on my hands without pay. No I don't get reimbursed for it.

Anyway I won't go any further and will bow out here, but any shutdown, any budget reduction, affects plenty inside and outside the fed.

 

[ksinger]

I can't tell you how many times I've been told to make due because there's no money to do anything else, even though systems were falling apart, or earmarked funds got moved to somewhere else, or the times where they moved budget and I'm the one that had to sit on my hands without pay. No I don't get reimbursed for it.

... any shutdown, any budget reduction, affects plenty inside and outside the fed.

Ah, you dredge up such fond memories! Ain't it just grand to be in the shadow federal workforce, and be just as dedicated to the mission, but treated like a second-class employee at all times, but especially at times like these? Yeah, I know you won't see a dime this time either.

Unfortunately, as more and more federal employees retire - and I do agree that not all sit around hating the evil government, but I do live in a deeply red state, so hating the government is a baseline - there will be less backfilling and more rotating in and OUT of people treated as second-class employees. I believe in a lot of areas in government this will increase the speed of the deterioration.

 

[Snowdrop13]

So people do get paid and won’t be at risk of losing jobs? I did read that this has happened before, in 2013, so maybe it’s not that unusual. Although this is the first time it’s happened with the same party in the majority in the Senate and Congress, is that correct?

 

[ksinger]

OK, you have to understand that many MANY people who work for the fed are NOT actually employed directly by the fed. They are contractors - they work for private companies that then supply the fed with employees that can be easily dismissed if necessary. It is a shadow workforce. They do almost all the same things, and nowadays, much more of the actual work, but have none of the protections of actual federal workers.

So, the federal folks, depending, are pretty likely to get back pay for the time they were furloughed. But the contractors? They might get paid by their company IF that company is large enough (say a Lockheed or similar). But most will not. They will simply be sent home to cool their heels waiting and wondering if there will be a job for them tomorrow. The longer it goes, the less money the contract company will have and the more likely it is that they will cut employees loose.

No, this IS unusual, 2013 was the start of this game of using shutdowns as weapons of mass destruction.

And while one party may be in charge on paper, the Republican party right now is fractured internally. Think smaller parties within the party. And they are not playing nicely with each other.

 

[redwood66]

Neither side is without fault in this fiasco but people will suffer just as @Arcadian described. Partisan political bullshit with people's lives affected by it.

 

[Platinum-blonde]

As an exempt employee, I am required to work, as normal. However, I won't get paid until this all over. Any scheduled leave that I may have has been canceled. I have employees who had once in a lifetime trips planned. Others were on their way to see ailing family members. They are now faced with having to decide if they want to follow the directions of the agency, or take their chances, and go on leave. They may be charged with AWOL or other consequences.

During the 16 day shutdown in 2013, we saw how many people were living paycheck to paycheck. People had to notify their creditors, and try to work something out with them. It didn't affect me, as my husband was making a lot of money, and we didn't have kids. This time, my husband isn't making nearly as much as he used to, and we have two kids in daycare. It's a little scary this time.

Anyhow, with all that being said, I have mixed emotions. There were things in that bill that shouldn't have been in there, and I agree with those who gave a no vote. I just wish that they could have removed some of the more controversial items. My fingers are crossed that this won't last too long...

 

[AGBF]

My brother was a direct federal employee who retired in January, and he was always miserable when the government shut down. I do not recall if he was able to go into his office or if it was off-limits, but he had so much responsibility that he was always swamped when the government "restarted". And even people who can go into their offices are very limited in what they can accomplish since nothing else is open. My husband works for one of the federal-not-federal jobs. He is not technically a federal government employee, but when the government closes, his job is sometimes closed in sympathy. (We have "federal employee" medical cards.) So the guys' jobs are always-in my brother's case was always affected-if there was a shutdown.

 

[Tekate]

Garland Merrick.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

“I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace; that two are called a law firm, and that three or more become a Congress!”
-From the musical 1776

 

[Logan Sapphire]

I'd like to remind everyone that back pay is NOT a guarantee by any means and even though it has been given in the past, someone still has to put a provision in the bill that passes. My husband is a legislative affairs director for one of the federal agencies and his feeling is that we may well not get back pay. Those who are excepted and must work will not get paid until the govt reopens and there is someone to process their payroll.

I'm also a federal employee. My agency operates on no-year funding and we have enough money rolled over to continue operating through Friday at 5pm, after which I will be furloughed. As others have pointed out, not only are contractors at-risk but other businesses which cater to govt employees are impacted, like restaurants who have to let go or reduce their staff's hours.

I hope this debacle ends soon.

 

[ksinger]

I'd like to remind everyone that back pay is NOT a guarantee by any means and even though it has been given in the past, someone still has to put a provision in the bill that passes. My husband is a legislative affairs director for one of the federal agencies and his feeling is that we may well not get back pay. Those who are excepted and must work will not get paid until the govt reopens and there is someone to process their payroll.

I'm also a federal employee. My agency operates on no-year funding and we have enough money rolled over to continue operating through Friday at 5pm, after which I will be furloughed. As others have pointed out, not only are contractors at-risk but other businesses which cater to govt employees are impacted, like restaurants who have to let go or reduce their staff's hours.

I hope this debacle ends soon.

Yeah, I suspect there more than a bit of danger that you guys won't get paid this time. Which would be in first in my memory anyway.

And yes, these things hit the local economies very hard if they go on for any length of time.

 

[monarch64]

It should conclude thisevening.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/us/politics/government-shutdown.html

 

[Arcadian]

It should conclude thisevening.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/us/politics/government-shutdown.html

My team will know more in the morning. But yes things are signed by tonight, were back on the job tomorrow. If they don't get signed until tomorrow, well.. tomorrow is tomorrow.

Regardless, my brother had to be at work today (some IRS folks were essential). His wife was not (they do not work together)

 

[ksinger]

Annnnd.....we'll get to do it all over again in 3 weeks.