Government shutdowns and public relations

[ASUMountaineer]

Yes it was but so was the Constitution and the Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse. Congress choosing not to fund something is a totally legitimate exercise of its Constitutional power.

If Congress wanted to it could do something like opt not to fund the DEA and let the DEA wither on the vine. Wish they would in fact. But in any case that would also be a totally legitimate exercise of Congress' power.

The only thing I can think of that they can't Constitutionally do is reduce the pay of Federal judges. Otherwise, as far as I know, they are granted to power to opt not to spend money on anything they opt not to spend money on. That includes a lot of stuff we now call "mandatory" spending.

The Affordable Care Act is the "Law of the Land" but so is the Constitution and the Constitution, obviously, is a higher order of law.

Oh. So it was passed into law and Republicans are threatening to not fund it. They are choosing to do this. Where exactly are you confused?

It is curious that they delayed the employer mandate, but refuse to delay the individual mandate.

[93henfan]

Well, regardless of the politics, my reality is that I report to work tomorrow. We are authorized to be in the building no longer than four hours if there is a shutdown. We will receive furlough letters early in the morning and be sent home. The letters were prepared by HR this afternoon and are ready to go. I spent most of today modifying contracts to extend periods of performance that might end in the next 30 days and exercising options on those up for renewal in the same timeframe.

The furlough will be unpaid, though employees received retroactive pay after the 1995/96 shutdown ended. However, that occurred during a different era and I'm not certain we'd get retroactive pay this time around. The cold bastards in Congress now don't seem like they really care about people and their families anymore.

I hope this gets fixed quickly. I'm tired of being a pawn in this game. I'm thankful to be employed, but three years of frozen pay, sequester furloughs, and now this and it is starting to get pretty annoying. It would be less annoying if Congress wasn't totally immune to everything they're putting real federal employees through.

[Cap'n Cat]

John Boehner: weaker than baby shit. Diarrhea baby shit. Owned by Obama.

[Aho Old Guy]

Why is it that Republicans get the blame for government shut downs? It's amazing....

But it's clearly not just "The Republicans Shutting Down Government." Democrats are clearly at least as "culpable."

So why is it that the Democrats are always successful in putting the "blame" on the Republicans when this sort of thing happens?

Their wounds are self-inflicted.

Republicans in Congress have had 200 days to conference on the FY14 budget. On at least 9 separate occasions, Senate Republicans have blocked conference appointments on the budget.

As far as the FY13 budget and subsequent sequestration, Speaker Boehner admitted that the GOP agreed with "most if not all" of the proposed cuts in President Obama's budget for FY2013 (Link).

384 days after the President submitted it.

[93henfan]

I guess the one nice side effect of the shutdown for me, Col H, Trip, and 89Hen is that there will be 300,000 less motherfuckers on the road at rush hour in the DC area.

[houndawg]

Well, regardless of the politics, my reality is that I report to work tomorrow. We are authorized to be in the building no longer than four hours if there is a shutdown. We will receive furlough letters early in the morning and be sent home. The letters were prepared by HR this afternoon and are ready to go. I spent most of today modifying contracts to extend periods of performance that might end in the next 30 days and exercising options on those up for renewal in the same timeframe.

The furlough will be unpaid, though employees received retroactive pay after the 1995/96 shutdown ended. However, that occurred during a different era and I'm not certain we'd get retroactive pay this time around. The cold bastards in Congress now don't seem like they really care about people and their families anymore.

I hope this gets fixed quickly. I'm tired of being a pawn in this game. I'm thankful to be employed, but three years of frozen pay, sequester furloughs, and now this and it is starting to get pretty annoying. It would be less annoying if Congress wasn't totally immune to everything they're putting real federal employees through.

[∞∞∞]

I love how so many Congressmen are giving live interviews right now (Ted Cruz being the most recent I saw). I'm sitting here thinking, "Why the fuck are you wasting your time with Wolf Blitzer instead of being in Congress trying to figure this shit out?"

[houndawg]

Why is it that Republicans get the blame for government shut downs? It's amazing.

In the 1990s, Congress sent Bill Clinton a spending Bill. Clinton vetoed it. He's the one that took the action to shut down the government. HE shut down the government. Yet it was perceived as the Republican Congress shutting down the government. And I think that most people of today think that Congress shut the government down on that occasion. But it's objectively not true. The President did it.

Now, It's not quite as clear cut. But if government shuts down it will be at least as much the responsibility of the President and the Democrat controlled Senate as it is of the Republican controlled House. One could say the Democrats would rather shut down the government than delay funding of the Affordable Care Act. And one could say that the Republicans would rather shut down the government than NOT delay the funding.

But it's clearly not just "The Republicans Shutting Down Government." Democrats are clearly at least as "culpable."

So why is it that the Democrats are always successful in putting the "blame" on the Republicans when this sort of thing happens?

Because Republicans pick the wrong fights. They chose the wrong time to pick the wrong fight. If they really wanted to fix things, they'd look at how to retake all of Congress.

They do it on purpose. That way they don't have to come up with any legitimate plan of their own.

[JohnStOnge]

I heard a good point made by a talking head today. I think it was Bill Crystal but I'm not sure. You know how memory is.

Anyway, the point had to do with this "it's the law of the land" crap. It was noted that Obama has already unilaterally decided to ignore "the law of the land" and do things like delay the employer mandate for certain entities and exempt Congressional staffs from certain provisions.

You know whoever the talking head was he was right. To invoke this "law of the land" stuff when you've already unilaterally decided to do things like that contrary to "the law of the land" is pretty bad.

[houndawg]

I heard a good point made by a talking head today. I think it was Bill Crystal but I'm not sure. You know how memory is.

Anyway, the point had to do with this "it's the law of the land" crap. It was noted that Obama has already unilaterally decided to ignore "the law of the land" and do things like delay the employer mandate for certain entities and exempt Congressional staffs from certain provisions.

You know whoever the talking head was he was right. To invoke this "law of the land" stuff when you've already unilaterally decided to do things like that contrary to "the law of the land" is pretty bad.

It's Bill Kristol.

The pundit who is wrong about nearly everything every time he speaks.

[kalm]

I heard a good point made by a talking head today. I think it was Bill Crystal but I'm not sure. You know how memory is.

Anyway, the point had to do with this "it's the law of the land" crap. It was noted that Obama has already unilaterally decided to ignore "the law of the land" and do things like delay the employer mandate for certain entities and exempt Congressional staffs from certain provisions.

You know whoever the talking head was he was right. To invoke this "law of the land" stuff when you've already unilaterally decided to do things like that contrary to "the law of the land" is pretty bad.

It's Bill Kristol.

The pundit who is wrong about nearly everything every time he speaks.

True.

[YoUDeeMan]

It's Bill Kristol.

The pundit who is wrong about nearly everything every time he speaks.

True.

JSO's point still holds true.

[kalm]

True.

JSO's point still holds true.

I know, but Bill Krystol is such a smug douche and has been wrong so often I couldn't help myself.

[Ibanez]

It's pretty sick that the Donks don't want to hold themselves to the same standard as the rest of us. We've done this to ourselves by electing weak, divisive and mentally incompetent democraps and republicants.

[YoUDeeMan]

Keep shutting down the government. The more that gets shut down, the better.

[SDHornet]

It's pretty sick that the Donks don't want to hold themselves to the same standard as the rest of us. We've done this to ourselves by electing weak, divisive and mentally incompetent democraps and republicants.

This. Just a few minutes away until the world ends via this shutdown...at least according to CNN.

[SDHornet]

Keep shutting down the government. The more that gets shut down, the better.

Amen.

[SDHornet]

Repubs finally don't fold on something and we are officially in shutdown mode. About god damn time they grew some balls.

[93henfan]

When will I get paid again: that's my concern.

[SDHornet]

When will I get paid again: that's my concern.

You'll be fine. Others maybe not so much.

[93henfan]

When will I get paid again: that's my concern.

You'll be fine. Others maybe not so much.

I'll be fine. OK cool. You'll be taking over my child support payment, mortgage, rent, car payment, gas and food? Sweet! Where are you sending the check?

[SDHornet]

You'll be fine. Others maybe not so much.

I'll be fine. OK cool. You'll be taking over my child support payment, mortgage, rent, car payment, gas and food? Sweet! Where are you sending the check?

Haven't I already been on the hook for those? Your checks will resume whenever Congress pulls their head out of their asses.

[DSUrocks07]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=P_TV70oZWuI#t=24[/youtube]

[CAA Flagship]

When will I get paid again: that's my concern.

You know damn well you will get retro pay this time around also. Enjoy the time off. Get the car tuned up. Do some shopping. Get some exercise.

[YoUDeeMan]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=P_TV70oZWuI#t=24[/youtube]

Damn, they shut down DSU's ability to make a statement?

They did tell us this shut down would have unintended adverse impacts.