Bay Area Houston

Nothing good. At all.

It looks like the republican controlled House of Representatives is going to shutdown the government due their inability and unwillingness to govern. I’ve been through a few shutdowns with NASA beginning with Newt Gingrich. So how will that affect you?

• Generally all federal employees cannot work. They can’t go to work and they can’t work from home. They can’t work offsite. They can’t Zoom or conference call. Nothing. Unless you are considered an “essential” employee you are not working. It is literally against the law. Space Station Mission Control personnel are an example of essential employees. They will continue coming to work or other essential employees can work from home.
• Other essential employees are the military, Federal Marshalls, other Homeland and Defense department employees. They will be able to work but not get paid.
• All federal employee’s paychecks will stop including the military. Eventually they will receive backpay but that also is not guaranteed. I can see the argument: “Why should they get paid if they didn’t work?”
• Federal parks are closed as well as all federal properties.
• Social Security checks will continue.
• Medicare will continuing paying medical providers
• FAA will continue as well as travel.
• IRS will stop
• Your local congressional office will close.
• Members of Congress can continue to work.
• The affects on Federal contractors varies. Some contractors that the opportunity to cut costs and furlough their employees without pay or back pay.

To some a shutdown is a free vacation. To others it is a needless hardship on their families. To the country it is an embarrassment. Look for the Republicans in the House to deny backpay. It just might happen this time.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023 at 6:24 am and is filed under Political. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.