The White House estimates that 3.5 million federal workers will have to go without pay if the government shuts down. Roughly 2 million of them will be military.

The rough tally comes as House Republicans struggle to push through spending bills that would keep the government open in the new budget year.

Absent a last-minute bipartisan deal, which appears unlikely, federal agencies are expected to curb much of their work and require many employees to work without pay.

In addition to the 2 million military service members, the White House Office of Management and Budget estimates 1.5 million federal civilian employees will go without pay.

About 820,000 of those federal workers will be sent home, or “furloughed.”

  • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
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    9 months ago

    conservative humans proving once again they don’t know how to govern, have no actual concern for citizens…

    a bet a significant number of those not getting paid are GOP supporters who dont have a clue they brought this on themselves with their own votes.

    • scaredoftrumpwinning@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I’m sure fox news is just blaming the white house for this cluster. I’m sure no trumpy grumpy will get their news from a legit outlet. In their mind I’m sure they blame the white house and not the actual cause.

    • itsonlygeorge@reddthat.com
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      9 months ago

      They are governing exactly is there a rich welfare queen corporate citizens are paying them to with lobbying dollars: to spend everyone else’s money and fuck everyone else in the ass.

    • Clegko@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Yes, but if you’re directly employed by the fed, you will receive back pay. If you receive unemployment pay during that time, you will have to pay it back.

      The big issue is people who are employed by a contracting firm and work in federal buildings - they won’t receive back pay when they come back.

      • mctoasterson@reddthat.com
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        9 months ago

        This is case-specific on the contract side. Sometimes the contract is funded already and the mission critical workers (like military, critical systems IT staff etc.) will continue working.

        And for anyone fomenting tears on behalf of the direct federal workers… Please realize that many of the lifers know and plan for this type of shit and even look forward to it. They will get back pay for however long it lasts so it is essentially a multi week paid vacation for them.

        A large number of federal workers view this as a benefit of their mealticket.

        (Source: worked in Federal contracting for a while)

        • Clegko@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          True, I did simplify quite a bit. My wife is a lifer federal employee and like you said, we’re well prepared if the gov’t shuts down. Of course we still realize how shit it can be for those who aren’t prepared or won’t get back pay and don’t want that to happen.

  • vamp07@lemm.ee
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    9 months ago

    I completely disagree with the shutdown. The role of these legislators is to find compromise. But I also have to say that the root of the problem is a massive oversized government we can’t continue to pay for.

    • bradorsomething@ttrpg.network
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      9 months ago

      The problem with this argument is that everyone has a portion of the government they feel is essential, and another they think isn’t. Deciding what to cut requires compromise, but polarization requires you protect everything you like and cut everything else. Nothing can happen in that scenario.

      • vamp07@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago

        To summarize our legislative body is completely incapable of doing their job. To a huge extent, we should be bringing in fresh blood. The problem is we’ve allowed money to place such a huge role in politics that the vote is almost inconsequential nowadays.