US government Shutdown

[FaxModem1]

CNN

Washington (CNN) -- [Breaking news update 12:01 a.m.]

(CNN) -- The U.S. government shutdown went into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday after lawmakers in the House and the Senate could not agree on a spending bill to fund the government.

The two sides bickered and blamed for more than a week over Obamacare, the president's signature health care law. House Republicans insisted the spending bill include anti-Obamacare amendments. Senate Democrats were just as insistent that it didn't.

Federal employees who are deemed essential will continue working. But non-essential employees will be furloughed.

Most furloughed federal workers are supposed to be out of their offices within four hours of the start of business Tuesday.

Well, it's happened. Hope no one was planning on going camping, or visiting any monuments anytime soon.

[Dominus Atheos]

No continuing resolution, so for the first time in 17 years, the government is officially closed.

[JME2]

Knew a last-minute save wasn't coming, but still incredibly frustrated.

[TimothyC]

The Republcians in the House have voted to keep the Government open twice now, all Reid and Obama have to do is let the elements of the ACA that haven't gone into effect yet get pushed back another year. I guess President Barry considers the ACA more important than funding the government.

Also, it's not the first time the Government has been shut down. Last week NPR covered that it's been shut down 17 times in the last 37 years.

[The Romulan Republic]

I'm more concerned about people losing their income because of this.

Cock sucking Tea Party scum are hurting their own constituents.

[FaxModem1]

True enough, I was just stating the immediate consequences. If this continues, what are the long term ones?

[The Romulan Republic]

A lot of government employees and their families starving and losing their homes and serious damage to the economy among other things.

And how long do you think our soldiers will keep fighting for the promise of future paychecks while their families are going hungry?

[Block]

It's cute that you think they passed something real instead of a partisan piece of crap.

[TimothyC]

It's cute that you think they passed something real instead of a partisan piece of crap.

Would the bill the House passed have funded the government? Yes it would have.

Would it have been an exceptionally bitter pill for Reid and Obama to swallow? Hell yes it would have.

How many years did it take Reid to get a budget passed again?

[Starglider]

A lot of government employees and their families starving

You mean their net yearly income might be reduced to something slightly closer to their private sector equivalents.

And how long do you think our soldiers will keep fighting for the promise of future paychecks while their families are going hungry?

Active military personnel are not affected.

[The Romulan Republic]

You think Obama and Reid should have given the Tea Party what they want because the Tea Party threatened America to coerce them?

I'm not completely unsympathetic. This is a bad situation. But your suggestion sucks too.

[Starglider]

It's cute that you think they passed something real instead of a partisan piece of crap.

To be fair the 'if you like your current insurance policy you can keep it' slogan turned out to be complete bullshit, and a lot of the 'healthcare exchanges' still aren't working properly (meeting the usual standards of government IT then). Power politics aside, a 6 month compromise delay would have been sensible.

[Agent Sorchus]

Tim you can get fucked. No really. HR departments, public and private have been preparing for the laws to take effect since at least this summer; are you willing to pay costs of business for all the already in effect and soon to be implemented policies that are already adding additional strain on workers to delay this for one year?

No I didn't think so. A last minute bullshit partisan fuckery is no more than that.

EDIT: bs on this besides, cutting a lot of millitary spending or raising taxes on the rich or... really there are a ton of ways that get around all of the nations problems that can't be pursued thanks to Republican Fossils and neo right democrats.

[Knife]

A lot of government employees and their families starving

You mean their net yearly income might be reduced to something slightly closer to their private sector equivalents.

And how long do you think our soldiers will keep fighting for the promise of future paychecks while their families are going hungry?

Active military personnel are not affected.

Yeah, cause all those government employees just live high off the hog. All those warehouseman, welders, and office jockeys just raking in the doe. LOL, what universe do you live in? Where I live, there is an IRS center with paper pushers, not evil tax collectors, just people pushing paper for a living. Their screwed. Where I live there is a major military base. Sure, the Airmen get their pay, all the civilian contractors don't. You know, all those private jobs moved from the military to the private sector the last two decades? Shit, where I live, a majority of the tourists areas are national parks, guess all those guys who either work there or the business who cater to tourists are shit out of luck too?

[Block]

A lot of government employees and their families starving

You mean their net yearly income might be reduced to something slightly closer to their private sector equivalents.

That's completely the opposite of reality in the US. Civil service salaries have always been lower than the public sector. They've become more competitive over the last decade, but only because of the complete stagnation of wages.

[Justice]

A lot of government employees and their families starving

You mean their net yearly income might be reduced to something slightly closer to their private sector equivalents.

That's completely the opposite of reality in the US. Civil service salaries have always been lower than the public sector. They've become more competitive over the last decade, but only because of the complete stagnation of wages.

Just as well, private sector employees typically don't have the same qualifications that their public sector counterparts do. Just look at the different requirements for a public school teacher compared to a private one.

[The Romulan Republic]

A lot of government employees and their families starving

You mean their net yearly income might be reduced to something slightly closer to their private sector equivalents.

And how long do you think our soldiers will keep fighting for the promise of future paychecks while their families are going hungry?

Active military personnel are not affected.

First of all, I'd like you to post some evidence that all those government employees are making that much more money.

Secondly, I recall Obama saying soldiers' pay will be delayed. They'll get their money in the end, but they better have some saved up and no big expenses until this is over.

[Justice]

Secondly, I recall Obama saying soldiers' pay will be delayed. They'll get their money in the end, but they better have some saved up and no big expenses until this is over.

The House and Senate passed legislation that will not delay payments to uniformed military personnel, which Obama signed. Civilian contractors, however, are another story.

[The Romulan Republic]

Didn't know that. Glad to hear it.

[TimothyC]

You think Obama and Reid should have given the Tea Party what they want because the Tea Party threatened America to coerce them?

I'm not completely unsympathetic. This is a bad situation. But your suggestion sucks too.

Have you seen the different exemptions that have been granted to the ACA? Corporations have received a blanket one year extension on covering all workers. Congressional aides have been excluded from certain provisions of the law.

The American people were sold a bill of goods that isn't panning out.

Tim you can get fucked. No really. HR departments, public and private have been preparing for the laws to take effect since at least this summer; are you willing to pay costs of business for all the already in effect and soon to be implemented policies that are already adding additional strain on workers to delay this for one year?

Then why did Barry's administration give corporations an extra year before they have to cover their workers? Oh wait - that doesn't fit in your narrative very well.

EDIT: bs on this besides, cutting a lot of millitary spending or raising taxes on the rich or... really there are a ton of ways that get around all of the nations problems that can't be pursued thanks to Republican Fossils and neo right democrats.

First, where are you going to cut from the DoD? I ask because 'Cut the military!' is a left-wing rallying cry, but then it's very rarely followed up with real suggestions that gut readiness or R&D. Second - I'm in favor of optimizing tax rates across the board. I'm also in favor of removing all exemptions/rebates and having taxes easy enough to do on the back of a note card (or a similarly easy to use look-up table). If you don't like the system get involved (like I do).

[Terralthra]

The Republcians in the House have voted to keep the Government open twice now, all Reid and Obama have to do is let the elements of the ACA that haven't gone into effect yet get pushed back another year. I guess President Barry considers the ACA more important than funding the government.

How is this a sensible or effective argument? It works just as well name-swapped the other way. "The Democrats in the Senate have voted to keep the government open twice now, all Boehner and Cruz have to do is let the elements of the ACA they find objectionable go into effect. I guess Boehner considers not having the ACA more important than funding the government."

[Thanas]

Threads merged.

[Thanas]

welcome to the United States of Absurdistan, everyone.

[Broomstick]

The Republcians in the House have voted to keep the Government open twice now, all Reid and Obama have to do is let the elements of the ACA that haven't gone into effect yet get pushed back another year. I guess President Barry considers the ACA more important than funding the government.

ACA is the law of the land. The Repubs have tried more than 40 times to repeal it with no success. They challenged it in the court system all the way to the top, where the Supreme Court upheld it as constitutional. They lost. Now, in a childish fit they shut down the Federal government.

I guess they consider getting their way more important than complying with the law. What do we call those sorts of people who refuse to obey the law....?

Which is not to say I'm enthused about the ACA but since it's what we have it's time to stop bitching that it passed and figure out 1) how to deal with it and 2) how to make it better.

[Broomstick]

Power politics aside, a 6 month compromise delay would have been sensible.

Not to me.

A 6 month delay would leave me and mine entirely without health insurance. Are you willing to supply the several hundred dollars a month necessary to keep my spouse healthy? (Which, as this recent weekend demonstrated, doesn't even always work). No? Go fuck yourself.