Monday, September 30, 2013

After more than 17 Years, U.S. on the way to do it again “Shutdown”?!

After more than 17 Years, U.S. on the way to do it again “Shutdown”?!



 “The shutdown is not a political problem, it is like a "last man standing game" inside the congress. And that will be totally paid from American health and salaries” - Quoted

Although the biggest camps - Republicans and Democrats - say they don’t want a shutdown, though neither side is budging from their positions to avoid one. Republicans want to delay President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act for a year and make other changes to the health law. The Democrats want not to let that happen whatever are the consequences.
Between these and those side of U.S. government stands poised that the first partial shutdown in 17 years, after a weekend with no signs of negotiations or compromise from either the House or Senate to avert it.
The fallout would be far-reaching: national parks and Internal Revenue Service call centers probably would close. And those wanting to renew passports would have to wait and the backlog of veterans’ disability claims could increase, in other words everything in U.S. will shut down but police, national defenses, medical operations, and social security programs.                                                                         
And here are some consequences of the shutdown …                                                       
Hanging in the balance are 0.8 Million out of 2.1 Million federal workers who would be sent home if Congress fails to pass a stop gap spending bill before funding expires Social Security and Medicare are entitlements, and as such, the spending is mandatory, So cheques will still go out. But there could be delays if a lack of funds for worker salaries means a reduced workforce at their respective agencies. Also, new applications are likely not to be processed until the government reopens. In the 1996 shutdown, more than 10,000 Medicare applicants were turned away daily, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CFRB).
During the shutdowns of 1995 and 1996, some Social Security employees were allowed to work, which kept benefits flowing to existing Social Security, disability, and black lung beneficiaries, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). But over time, more workers were brought back to process new claims and respond to other requests (such as from people who needed a Social Security card to work).




And the main point “Salaries”, back to the serious business of a shutdown. Federal workers placed on furlough will not get paid during a shutdown. After past shutdowns, Congress has voted to pay furloughed workers retroactively, but this time employee advocates aren’t so sure, given public (and some legislators’) attitudes toward the federal government.

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