Can someone explain to me why government employees are not being paid in the USA?

[Bunnybigears]

Just that really I dont understand. Have they gone on strike? Or been laid off to pay for the wall? I feel I missed a crucial part amd now nothing I read about it makes sense.

I’d like to know this too!

US Government department budgets have to be agreed by Congress and signed off my the President. The Democrats in control of Congress are refusing to put funding in the budget for the wall so the President is refusing to sign it off. So until the deadlock breaks everything literally shuts down as the government departments do not have access to funds. Some government department funding is protected such as the prison service but most of them are not. This will continue to happen as often they will agree a budget for a short period of time (a few months say) and then the whole situation comes up again.

Because Trump is having a sulky tantrum. He wants agreement that US will pay for the wall, the Democrats refuse to support it, so Trump has said employees will not be paid until the Democrats give in. Usefully for him, its illegal for those employees to strike so they're expected to keep working.

Oh god thats awful so he can essentially hold the country to ransom to get what he wants?! Is there likely to be a vote of no confidence or the equivalent?

yes congress wont add the wall to the budget, Trump wont sign off without it.

Without the budget going through money cannot be released, this includes money for all government salaries (barring those protected).

Those workers deemed unneccessary (park/environment etc) are on unpaid leave
Those such as TSA are working unpaid. Many are calling in sick causing chaos

They do not have votes of no confidence I don't think. The president is entirely separate from Congress and elected entirely separately. It's not like here where the Prime Minister comes from the largest party. In the US the president and congress can and often are from opposing parties.

The idea of the American system is checks and balances, Congress and the President and the Supreme Court are meant to keep each other in check and stop any one branch becoming too powerful. Negotiations and discussions are meant to happen to get the best solution but when you have someone like Trump that doesn't happen.

It has happened with other presidents but not for so long or for such a silly reason.
It is not just government employees that are suffering either, it is also contractors employed by the departments effected, cleaners, cooks etc.
and although the government employees will probably be given back-pay eventually the contractors will not. So contractors will be left with long term debts or have to find another job.
It is a stupid system that needs to change because ordinary people are effectively being held hostage by politicians forcing their own agendas.

I find it bizarre that in a country based upon a work ethic that essential government employees like air traffic control and prison staff are required to work without pay.
Government employees are going to food banks to eat.
Why don't ATC down tools? They can't sack them all.

Listen to Rachel Maddow podcasts (MSNBC). She’s excellent at explaining what’s going on in an entertaining way.

Coast guard employees have been told to babysit or have garage sales to raise money. There are food banks for federal workers. One woman was on the news talking about how she had to choose between paying for chemo or her rent this month. The amount of money now not being put back into the economy is huge. Some workers can’t get to work as they can’t afford petrol.

On top of all of that, some of them are contractually bound, meaning that if they seek alternative work, they risk being fired once the government reopens.

It’s a joke. There’s a lot of excitement about Cohen testifying and Mueller’s report. Something, just one thing, needs to happen soon.

Look at Trump’s twitter account. He’s definitely the best at Twitter. Probably the best in the world. No one does Twitter like he does

Because Trump is a cunt!

I read an article about a type 1 insulin dependent worker who can't afford her insulin

The two houses of congress could vote a funding bill through that would be veto-proof if they could get a two-thirds majority.

So when the Republicans say there's no point them voting on a bill that will just get vetoed by the president, they are conveniently overlooking the fact that they could actually vote it through with a veto-proof majority.

Basically it is Trump throwing a tantrum and his party pandering to him.

Why don't ATC down tools? They can't sack them all.

Because the last time they all downed tools Reagan sacked them all and replaced them with military ATCs. They were never able to work for the government in any capacity again.

hes a giant manbaby.

Oh, my! I'm on here because my family is moving to Wales in a couple of months. You made us laugh really, really hard when you suggested a vote of no confidence!

We're US citizens who can't wait to get out of this shithole.

ThanksForYourHelp, could you explain further, please? Is it that there is no mechanism for this? Or that Trump wouldn't lose for some reason?

Surely he is digging his own grave in terms of re-election if he's pissing off so many ordinary working people?

There is and can't be a vote of no confidence. If Congress decides to impeach the bastard, they can get rid of him, but they won't. Republicans are getting to much mileage out of him (i.e., making too much money). And then Pence would be there to fuck things up in his own special way.

I have no idea how this will end.

Isn't and can't be a vote of no confidence. Sorry.

Blimey, that's dreadful! I can't help but feel though that you are jumping from the frying pan into the fire by relocating to a post-Brexit wasteland!

Maybe. But you're not so heavily armed.

That EU employment legislation that we're all expected to despise (which May said the other day would be protected post Brexit) protects us from twuntish employers behaving like Trump. Post Brexit deregulation will be hellish for workers and the low paid nevertheless. Welcome to Wales though, it's a nice place but, again, they're going to be very unhappy people when they finally realise what Brexit brings with it.

Stupo wow! I guess that explains it. Thanks for that bit of info.

What I want to know is, this situation has gone on for far longer than normal but it IS normal for a shutdown every few years. So how do government employees get mortgages or live their normal lives? Do they all have to save to afford the inevitable every few years?
If people are missing mortgage payments are banks penalising them or ignoring it?

Cookit - I think most banks can afford to wait, but small private landlords are beginning to evict tenants, because they need rent to pay their mortgages.

Federal employees are usually regarded as being in more secure employment than those in the private sector. Apart from shutdowns, which don't usually last this long and rarely benefit the party responsible.

It's not just the employees who suffer. They have zero spending power so shops and restaurants etc in their communities also feel the pinch.

Trump's approval ratings are taking a hit, and he needs more than the support of his base to win in 2020. But, as we know, he's not great at rational thinking.

And sadly it is NOT a certainty that when the goverment reopens that they will get back pay as that also has to get approved by congress AND the President.

It is a shit system all round my BiL and SiL are being greatly effected by this.

Trump has hinted if he does not get his way he will block back pay requests if he forced to back down.....