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Some agency leaders telling employees to prepare for a government shutdown

September 30, 2023 telling, prepare, leaders, Some, government, Agency, employees, shutdown0 comment

Even though Senate lawmakers are on the cusp of passing a bi-partisan continuing resolution to keep the government open to Nov. 17, agencies are telling their employees to prepare for a shutdown. The departments of Commerce and Homeland Security are among the agencies sending emails to employees today. “Prudent management requires the proper preparation for all contingencies, including the possibility that a lapse could occur. A lapse would mean that certain government activities would cease due to a lack of appropriated funding,” wrote Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in an email…

Kevin McCarthy Finally Defies the Right

September 30, 2023 defies, McCarthy, right, Kevin, finally0 comment

For weeks, Speaker Kevin McCarthy seemed to face an impossible choice as he haggled over spending bills with his party’s most hard-line members: He could keep the government open, or he could keep his job. At every turn, McCarthy’s behavior suggested that he favored the latter option. He continued accepting the demands of far-right Republicans to deepen spending cuts and dig in against the Democrats, making a shutdown at tonight’s midnight deadline all but a certainty. [Read: Why Republicans can’t keep the government open] With just hours to go, however,…

4 Key Things You Need to Know About Government Shutdowns

September 30, 2023 about, things, need, government, know, Shutdown's0 comment

With the nation’s capital fixated on tense negotiations over funding the federal government, apocalyptic warnings over a possible shutdown are filling headlines. Time is “running short,” we’re in “crisis mode,” and the House and Senate are on a “collision course,” to quote just a few prominent news outlets. But for the 99% of Americans who live far from the swamp, it’s not always clear how a government shutdown would affect day-to-day life. Here are some important points about how shutdowns work—and how Washington makes them worse. 1) Many Functions Continue Despite Shutdown Even…

MoveOn Launches “Junk Fees Calculator” to Hold Corporations Accountable for Predatory Fees

September 30, 2023 launches, Hold, corporations, fees, Predatory, Accountable, junk, MoveOn, Calculator”0 comment

Washington, D.C. – As part of its “F*ck the Fees” initiative, MoveOn is launching a website to advocate with and for working families impacted by predatory junk fees. The site features a “junk fee calculator” which asks consumers a series of relevant questions used to estimate how much in junk fees an individual has paid in one year. MoveOn members are calling on Congress and federal agencies to regulate and force corporations to offer more transparency over these deceptive fees. “In nearly every industry, from housing to banking to travel, junk fees…

Biden’s dog Commander bites another Secret Service employee at the White House

September 26, 2023 bites, House, Secret, Service, Commander, another, White, employee, Biden's0 comment

President Joe Biden’s dog Commander has bitten another U.S. Secret Service employee. The Washington Times stories: White House

Here’s how many feds would stay on the job – both with and without pay – during an upcoming shutdown

September 26, 2023 Feds, would, upcoming, many, during, Without, both, shutdown, stay, Here's0 comment

If Congress fails to pass appropriations bills or a continuing resolution by the end of this week, hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be furloughed. But based on agencies’ shutdown plans, they would actually be in the minority: roughly 65% of the overall federal civilian workforce would continue working through the shutdown, either with or without pay. A Federal News Network analysis of agencies’ publicly-available plans for appropriations lapses shows that out of a total workforce of just over 2.3 million, more than 1.5 million would be either “exempt”…