Biden signs $1.2 trillion funding package after Senate’s early-morning passage ended government shutdown threat

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a $ 1.2 trillion package of spending bills after Congress had passed the long overdue legislation just hours earlier, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown. “This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” Biden said in a statement. “But it rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the…

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Government shutdown can kicked down the road, again

It’s not a snow day in the DMV today, but federal agencies in the Washington, D.C.-area are open under what the Office of Personnel Management calls a “two-hour delayed arrival.” OPM also said that feds have the option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. Emergency employees, though, are expected to report to work on time. (Washington, DC Area, 1/19/24 – OPM) A government shutdown has been averted and Congress has another six weeks to get fiscal 2024 funding across the finish line. House and Senate lawmakers passed the third continuing…

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Senators move to financially protect contractors during government shutdowns

“Continuous vetting” is no longer just for employees in national security positions. More federal employees, many of whom are in policymaking, public safety and health and law enforcement roles, will soon be subject to background checks at any given time. The Office of Personnel Management is directing all agencies to start making preparations to change vetting procedures for what are called “non-sensitive public trust positions.” The goal is to enroll all feds in both high-and moderate-risk categories into the government’s continuous vetting program by next October. ( ‘Continuous vetting’ procedures…

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Some agency leaders telling employees to prepare for a government shutdown

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…

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4 Key Things You Need to Know About Government Shutdowns

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…

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