Markle wrote: Buckwheat wrote:While most government shutdowns prior to the 1995–1996 shutdowns had very mild effects, a full federal government shutdown causes a large number of civilian federal employees to be furloughed. Active duty military personnel (those on Title 10 status) and employees excepted by the Antideficiency Act are not furloughed, but may not be paid as scheduled[7][8] if at all for the period of the furlough. During a government shutdown, furloughed government employees are prohibited from even checking their e-mail from home. To enforce this prohibition, many agencies require employees to return their government-issued electronic devices for the duration of the shutdown.[9]
The exact details of which government functions would stop during a shutdown is determined by the Office of Management and Budget.[10] "Emergency personnel" continue to be employed, including the active duty (Title 10) military, federal law enforcement agents, doctors and nurses working in federal hospitals, and air traffic controllers.[10] For the Department of Defense, at least half of the civilian workforce, and the full-time, dual-status military technicians in the US National Guard and traditional Guardsmen (those on Title 32 status) are furloughed and not paid while the shutdown is in effect. Members of Congress continue to be paid, because their pay cannot be altered except by direct law.[11] Mail delivery is not affected as it is self-funded and the funds are not appropriated by Congress.[12]
Shutdowns in the past have also affected the Washington, D.C., municipal government, closing schools and suspending utilities such as garbage collection.[13]
You really need to brush up on FACTS.
Nothing shut down except President Obama shut down the White House and some parks in order to make a big show. The few who were furloughed were all paid for the time they were off.
President Obama at least locked the Veterans out of the Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day. That was really cool. Since he hates our military it probably thrilled him to death.
Your statements are misleading and erroneous.
First, Federal employees were furloughed for a combined total of 6.6 million days, more than in any previous government shutdown. At its peak, about 850,000 individuals per day were furloughed. That number fell once most Department of Defense civilian employees were able to return to work as the Pentagon implemented the Pay Our Military Act.
Second, the shutdown cost the Federal government billions of dollars. The payroll cost of furloughed employee salaries alone – that is, the lost productivity of furloughed workers – was $2.0 billion. Beyond this, the Federal government also incurred other direct costs as a result of the shutdown. Fees went uncollected; IRS enforcement and other program integrity measures were halted; and the Federal government had to pay additional interest on payments that were late because of the shutdown.
Third, the shutdown had significant negative effects on the economy. The Council of Economic Advisers has estimated that the combination of the shutdown and debt limit brinksmanship resulted in 120,000 fewer private sector jobs created during the first two weeks of October. And multiple surveys have shown that consumer and business confidence was badly damaged.
The report highlights some of the more direct impacts the shutdown had on the economy by shutting down government services. For example:
Federal permitting and environmental and other reviews were halted, delaying job-creating transportation and energy projects.
Import and export licenses and applications were put on hold, negatively impacting trade.
Federal loans to small businesses, homeowners, and families in rural communities were put on hold.
Private-sector lending to individuals and small businesses was disrupted, because banks and lenders couldn’t access government income and Social Security Number verification services.
Travel and tourism was disrupted at national parks and monuments across the country, hurting the surrounding local economies.
Fourth, the shutdown impacted millions of Americans who rely on critical programs and services halted by the shutdown. For example:
Hundreds of patients were prevented from enrolling in clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health.
Almost $4 billion in tax refunds were delayed.
Agencies from the Food and Drug Administration to the Environmental Protection Agency had to cancel health and safety inspections, while the National Transportation Safety Board was unable to investigate airplane accidents in a timely fashion.
Critical government-sponsored scientific research was put on hold. Notably, four of the five Nobel prize winning scientists who work for the Federal government were furloughed during the shutdown.
Fifth, the shutdown could have a long-term impact on our ability to attract and retain the skilled and driven workforce that the Federal government needs. The shutdown followed a three-year pay freeze for Federal employees, cuts in training and support, and, for hundreds of thousands of workers, administrative furloughs earlier this year because of sequestration. These cuts will make it harder for the government to attract and retain the talent it needs to provide top level service to the American people.
The report makes clear that the costs and impacts of the shutdown were significant and widespread, and demonstrates why this type of self-inflicted wound should not occur again.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell is the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
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