Government Shutdown - Sep 2025 Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pay for government employees who work during a shutdown; no pay for employees who don't work.

I am a liberal democrat, and can someone please explain why this shouldn't be the policy?

Because feds want to work and are unable to continue working?

Another point is that I have to do the same amount of work whether there's a shutdown or not. I just have to work harder and longer hours when work reopens. My cases don't go away magically when there's a shutdown.

"But I want to work" is not a justification for getting paid when not working. When private sector employees are furloughed, they still want to work, but can't.

Also, federal employees, particularly lawyers, aren't paid on a piece rate system. They're paid for the time they are working. That's why when things are slow you get paid the same as when things are busy.

It troubles me that federal attorneys don't understand both of those points.

Where did you get that? Do you think PP is a fed atty?

[Anonymous]

Debt ceiling is not an issue - the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act, passed in July 2025, included a $5 trillion increase to the debt ceiling.

My money is on no shutdown with a CR through January 31, 2026, plus selective recissions by OMB despite the CR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this would be a good test of who is loyal.

My idiot BIL worked for a nice family owned firm in NY where owner gave regular raises, great benefits and good pay. Never a layoff in history of company.

Well in late 2008 he got hit hard in financial crisis. Rather than lay off people he rolled out Free Fridays. Everyone would continue working five days a week but only paid for four days a week. He would do that till economy recovered so no one would lose job.

My short sighted and greedy BIL immediately started job hunting. It took 2-3 months and landed a job with a much longer commute, less job security for slightly less than prior job.

About 8 weeks later his old company announces around 20 percent of company quit. The less loyal employees he called them. He went back to five days a week pay, gave everyone their annual raise and said in summer 2009 things are back close to normal with less headcount I will make up for last years lack of bonus with a bonus that is higher for next few years. We are more lean and more profitable.

My BIl was furious. he was like I would have never have quit if I knew this would happen. And also I worked for less a few weeks and I am not getting a raise and extra bonus for it.

End story he commuted an extra hour a day nfor two years than laid off.

His old company never wanted any of the quitters back.

Maybe Uncle Sam should do same thing nexrt govt shutdown.

If you are loyal to the United States, you wouldn’t work for this administration, which is destroying the country.

Some of us are Feds outside the executive branch and are doing our best to preserve what we can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pay for government employees who work during a shutdown; no pay for employees who don't work.

I am a liberal democrat, and can someone please explain why this shouldn't be the policy?

Because Congress passed a law saying that’s not how this works. And we aspire to live under the rule of law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pay for government employees who work during a shutdown; no pay for employees who don't work.

I am a liberal democrat, and can someone please explain why this shouldn't be the policy?

If I'm not going to get backpay, then I should be free to work anywhere during the shutdown regardless of conflicts of interest.
I'm either an employee or I'm not: you don't get to hold me to employee restrictions while not paying me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this would be a good test of who is loyal.

My idiot BIL worked for a nice family owned firm in NY where owner gave regular raises, great benefits and good pay. Never a layoff in history of company.

Well in late 2008 he got hit hard in financial crisis. Rather than lay off people he rolled out Free Fridays. Everyone would continue working five days a week but only paid for four days a week. He would do that till economy recovered so no one would lose job.

My short sighted and greedy BIL immediately started job hunting. It took 2-3 months and landed a job with a much longer commute, less job security for slightly less than prior job.

About 8 weeks later his old company announces around 20 percent of company quit. The less loyal employees he called them. He went back to five days a week pay, gave everyone their annual raise and said in summer 2009 things are back close to normal with less headcount I will make up for last years lack of bonus with a bonus that is higher for next few years. We are more lean and more profitable.

My BIl was furious. he was like I would have never have quit if I knew this would happen. And also I worked for less a few weeks and I am not getting a raise and extra bonus for it.

End story he commuted an extra hour a day nfor two years than laid off.

His old company never wanted any of the quitters back.

Maybe Uncle Sam should do same thing nexrt govt shutdown.

Wow, you are praising the business owner who made his employees work without pay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pay for government employees who work during a shutdown; no pay for employees who don't work.

I am a liberal democrat, and can someone please explain why this shouldn't be the policy?

Because feds want to work and are unable to continue working?

Another point is that I have to do the same amount of work whether there's a shutdown or not. I just have to work harder and longer hours when work reopens. My cases don't go away magically when there's a shutdown.

"But I want to work" is not a justification for getting paid when not working. When private sector employees are furloughed, they still want to work, but can't.

Also, federal employees, particularly lawyers, aren't paid on a piece rate system. They're paid for the time they are working. That's why when things are slow you get paid the same as when things are busy.

It troubles me that federal attorneys don't understand both of those points.

I mean there’s literally a law that says we get paid, and before that, Congress would put retroactive pay into the budget. So this federal attorney feels quite solid about the interpretation!

[Anonymous]

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/congress/2025/09/white-house-seeks-stopgap-bill-through-jan-31-to-avoid-government-shutdown/

[Anonymous]

It boggles my mind how prevalent the "but private sector employees!" mindset is when discussing how things work or should work in the federal government.

"But private sector employees have to come into work when it's dangerously snowy/icy outside!" "But private sector workers don't get paid after furloughs!"

Yeah that's true, but why in the world are we acting as if the greedy and exploitative private sector is the model to follow? The private sector would pay you in scrip and force you to live in exorbitantly priced, company-owned housing if they could. The private sector would make you work 12 hours a day 7 days a week if they could.

The federal government should be a leader by example in workers' rights, not meeting the private sector at the lowest common denominator.

It's all crab in a bucket mentality. "Well MY private sector employer makes my life miserable so YOUR federal job should be miserable too!" Don't get mad at the federal government for treating its employees better, get mad at YOUR private sector employer for treating you worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pay for government employees who work during a shutdown; no pay for employees who don't work.

I am a liberal democrat, and can someone please explain why this shouldn't be the policy?

Because I'm not allowed to go out and get other work while we're furloughed. I can't substitute teach or doordash or work at 7/11. I can't have outside employment.
So yes, I'd like my paycheck when I come back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pay for government employees who work during a shutdown; no pay for employees who don't work.

I am a liberal democrat, and can someone please explain why this shouldn't be the policy?

Because I'm not allowed to go out and get other work while we're furloughed. I can't substitute teach or doordash or work at 7/11. I can't have outside employment.
So yes, I'd like my paycheck when I come back.

Also, it’s not like it’s laying off or furloughing a select / small group. At my agency it’s pretty much everyone and many of us have specialized skills. It’s expensive to interview, hire and train so not a good idea to lose large portions of your workforce by refusing to pay them for undetermined amounts of time for reasons that have nothing to do with agency strategic plan, mission needs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not going to happen because Trump will order the executive branch to keep working, funding or no.

Yes, we are that far gone.

Agreed. The RIFs and reorgs are already happening. So are the impoundments. The admin doesn’t need a shutdown to get what it wants.

They’ll just claim everyone is excepted and order them back. Who’s gonna enforce the Antideficiency Act against them? GAO will write a strongly worded letter, and Vought will use it as more ammo in his campaign to have them abolished.

The real test will be whether they start moving money around to pay ICE and other favored agencies. I’m sure they’ll claim Article II allows them to redistribute money from fee-funded agencies, etc.

They may even order Treasury to just pay everything despite the shutdown. Sure, it’s explicitly unconstitutional, but if a court tries to stay the action, SCOTUS can just issue a wordless order from the emergency docket to allow it “temporarily.” The admin will conveniently order Treasury not to pay the courts, so the case will sit in limbo forever, and we’ll have a king.

This person gets it.

Yep this

[Anonymous]

I have heard from a source the government wil indeed shut down and stay shut down indefinitely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard from a source the government wil indeed shut down and stay shut down indefinitely.

From the Hill? R or D?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard from a source the government wil indeed shut down and stay shut down indefinitely.

I wasn’t aware that a single person got to decide how each member of Congress will vote.