In efforts to try to lessen the pain for Americans at the expense of federal workers…..
We go thru the 26th day of the Trump border wall government shutdown….
The Hill….
President Trump on Wednesday signed a bill guaranteeing back-pay to federal workers furloughed during the partial government shutdown that began in December.
The White House announced that Trump has signed the bill in a brief statement Wednesday afternoon as the partial shutdown dragged into its 26th day.
Trump had been expected to sign the law after both he and Vice President Mike Pence indicated support for the measure while it was still in Congress.
The legislation was a moment of rare bipartisan agreement between Trump and the new Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, which has refused to comply with the White House’s request for more than $5 billion in funding for construction of a border wall in any bill to reopen the government…..
Huffington Post…
The Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, which provides aid to military personnel based in Massachusetts, said it can barely keep up with demand. It set up five pop-up pantries for Coast Guard families affected by the shutdown. In Rhode Island and Boston, the group went through three months’ worth of diapers in two weeks, said Don Cox, the foundation’s president. Cox said his organization is spending about six times what it normally spends per week to meet the needs of these military families.
While the families are grateful for the help, they’re also weighed down by stress, Cox said.
“If you didn’t get paid, and you had your Christmas bills, and your car insurance was due and you weren’t sure when next paycheck was coming in, how would you feel?” he asked.
If you didn’t get paid, and you had your Christmas bills, and your car insurance was due and you weren’t sure when next paycheck was coming in, how would you feel?Don Cox, president of the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation
While these organizations are providing crucial services, many families might not even be aware that they’re available. Others might not live anywhere near an agency and may be forced to take desperate measures as a result…..
Politicalwire….
President Trump has insisted that he is not going to compromise with Democrats to end the government shutdown, and that he is comfortable in his unbendable position. But privately, it’s sometimes a different story,” the New York Times reports.
Said Trump to acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney: “We are getting crushed! Why can’t we get a deal?”…..
Is the Trump Admin forcing government workers to work for NO pay?
They are ordering some workers back to work while they are not currently getting paid…
How long could this go on?
In recent days, agencies have called back to work thousands of furloughed federal employees, restarted services and pursued key policies at shuttered agencies. The activity has legal experts, administration officials and veterans of past shutdowns questioning what actually constitutes a government shutdown if the administration can simply resurrect its preferred services and à la carte policy to-do list nearly a month after funding technically expired for several agencies…..