Thread: Thousands of federal workers furloughed because of Senate

Thousands of federal workers furloughed because of Senate filibuster

March 1, 2010 | 8:01 am

In the Senate, where the GOP holds a 41-59 majority on healthcare, the one-man filibuster of Sen. Jim Bunning, a Kentucky Republican, is putting a couple of thousand federal transportation workers out of work this week.

Bunning is blocking an extension of unemployment benefits and health insurance payments for hundreds of thousands of out-of-work Americans over concerns about the bill's impact on the federal budget. The programs expired Sunday night.

Democratic and Republican leaders had agreed to pass a one-month extension through a process known as unanimous consent, meaning no formal vote was required. The House has passed a bill, and the president was ready to sign it. But Bunning's single objection blocked it in the Senate.

The bill also included funding for federal transportation programs, with reimbursements to the states totaling about $190 million a day. The Department of Transportation has announced 2,000 furloughs of workers as a result of the bill's blockage -- increasing pressure on the Senate to move the legislation.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dcnow/2 ... uster.html

Yeah, so use the stimulus money if you think it's important. I'm not too upset about 2000 workers being put on "furlough" by DOT because we won't give them money we don't have. I'm much more upset about the 496,000 workers who lost their jobs permanently last week and the 27 million already out of work for months and millions of those for years due to illegal immigration, mandated taxation and free trade treason.

So please don't cry me a river over 2000 DOT workers working largely on over-priced federal boon-doggles to begin with who are going to have to sit out for awhile until someone finds some money to pay them.

Anytime any American worker loses their job, their paycheck, their way to support their family, it is a sad time for all.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Anytime any American worker loses their job, their paycheck, their way to support their family, it is a sad time for all.

Of course it is. However, if there was ever a time to stop spending money we don't have, now would be the time. If I managed my money like the U.S. Congress manages ours, I would have been broke long ago. Nice to see someone has the guts to say enough is enough.

Nice to see someone has the guts to say enough is enough.

Yes it is, and especially so since it is the law for Congress to follow the Pay as you go bill they passed and Obama signed. Only one member wants to obey the law and has the guts to stand, Jim Bunning. Just more of the same old lawlessness we deal with here daily on behalf of "the victims".

How can they make this ten's of thousands federal workers furloughed?

Every American citizens who loses a job, for any reason, is another family without a way to support themselves, another home in danger of foreclosure, less money in the economy to help with the recovery, etc.

U.S. Transportation Agencies to Lay Off 2,000 as Funds Expire

March 01, 2010, 5:11 AM EST
By Jeff Plungis

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Transportation Department will lay off 2,000 employees today, halting construction projects, reimbursements to state governments and highway safety programs, according to a statement.

Employees will be furloughed without pay because a funding measure stalled in Congress, the department said in a statement today. The affected workers are in the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Innovative Technology Administration.

The furloughs are necessary because the Senate failed to complete action on a bill to extend unemployment benefits, according to the statement. Among provisions in the measure was an extension of authorization to spend money from the federal Highway Trust Fund, which bankrolls spending for parts of the Transportation Department.

“As American families are struggling in tough economic times, I am keenly disappointed that political games are putting a stop to important construction projects around the country,â€

DOT 36-10
Monday, March 1, 2010
Contact: 202-366-4570

USDOT Furloughs to Shut Down Critical Construction Projects
Secretary LaHood Denounces Political Games During Tough Economic Times
The Department of Transportation will furlough nearly 2,000 employees without pay Monday, temporarily shutting down highway reimbursements to states worth hundreds of millions of dollars, national anti-drunk driving efforts, and multi-million dollar construction projects across the country.

The action comes as a result of Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning’s decision to block key legislation that would have extended several critical priorities for middle class families. That legislation covered tax credits for COBRA health coverage, unemployment insurance for 400,000 people, as well as the short-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund. The Fund supports all surface transportation programs for the nation – highways, bridges, transit and safety inspections, as well as efforts to encourage seat belt use and to fight distracted and impaired driving.

“As American families are struggling in tough economic times, I am keenly disappointed that political games are putting a stop to important construction projects around the country,â€

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Anytime any American worker loses their job, their paycheck, their way to support their family, it is a sad time for all.

The DOT is supposed to be funded primarily with ear-marked gas taxes. That's what we pay these taxes for to fund the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. Americans never intended to borrow money from China to fund our roads and bridges. If you want more roads and bridges, then raise the gas taxes to pay for them.

During the past 5 years, 31 million Americans have lost their jobs and only a few of us of cried a tear for them or fought the good fight to get their jobs back. So, there's no reason for the furlough of 2000 DOT workers to be a "sad time for all" because Americans don't want to borrow money from China to pay US government workers to build roads which from the list, we don't need to begin with.