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  1. 10-08-2013, 12:02 PM #1
    kathyet2
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    House approves back pay for furloughed workers (Video)

    Video at link below

    House approves back pay for furloughed workers (Video)

    By Pete Kasperowicz - 10/05/13 11:01 AM ET

    The House voted unanimously Saturday to retroactively pay back federal workers who are not receiving a paycheck because of the government shutdown.

    Members approved the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act, H.R. 3223, in a 407-0 vote, with 25 members not voting.







    Workers will not be paid until the shutdown — now in its fifth day — ends. About 800,000 workers have been furloughed. The vote was a rare showing of bipartisanship in a week filled with fighting and finger-pointing over the shutdown, the first in 17 years. The bill drew praise from the White House this week, and the Senate could pass it as early as today when it reconvenes at noon.
    In the debate preceeding the vote, Republicans sought to score points in the broader fight by arguing that Democrats were more interested in ensuring that workers were paid than in opening the government.
    "This week, they said 'no' to opening up our national memorials or opening up our national parks like Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon, but they're saying 'yes' to paying federal workers," said Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.).
    Miller was referring to a series of measures moved by the House this week that have funded specific parts of the government.
    The White House and Democrats have opposed the measures, arguing Republicans should pass a measure to fund the entire government, not just some portions of it.
    "'No' to veterans benefits, but 'yes' to paying federal workers. 'No' to women and babies on food assistance, 'no' to children with cancer treatments, but 'yes' to paying federal workers," Miller said.
    Democrats see the bill as a separate piece of legislation to ensure back pay for federal workers, and tried to separate that issue from their drive to get the House to pass the Senate's continuing spending resolution.
    Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and others said they continue to oppose the GOP's attempt to call up smaller bills, and said the only reason the government has closed is because of the GOP attempt to undermine ObamaCare.

    "Today is day five of the shutdown created by the Tea Party extremists who are harming our country by holding our government hostage," he said.

    In past shutdowns, federal workers have received back pay, but there were questions about whether this time would be different.






    "Today, 17 years ago, federal workers were given back pay after Newt Gingrich's record 21-day shutdown in 1995 an 1996," said Cummings. "It was a fair thing to do then, and it is a fair thing to do now.The vote can also be seen as a defensive move by Republican leaders, who have come under pressure from some of their own members for their strategy in the fight. Many in the GOP conference, such as Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), have government workers in their districts.
    Republicans on Saturday said federal workers should be held harmless on a shutdown that has resulted from the inability of Republicans and Democrats to agree on a 2014 spending plan.
    "This is a bipartisan bill, and I hope every member in this House will be happy to support it," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.).

    The bill will not cure all of the bad blood between the two parties over the shutdown. There is still no agreement in sight that might allow the government to reopen — Republicans still insist on their broad funding resolution that undermines ObamaCare, and Democrats continue to call for a "clean" spending bill.

    The House is expected to spend next week passing more of these smaller spending bills. Bills that could come up in the coming days include proposals to fund intelligence activities, the Food and Drug Administration, border security, and education.

    So far, the Senate has ignored all of these, and has refused to even call up a vote on any of the GOP's "mini" spending proposals.

    Aside from holding broad debate, the Senate has done very little in the way of legislative over the past week, and drew GOP criticism on Friday for quickly passing a resolution naming next week "National Chess Week."

    That track record led Rogers to quip that he's excited the Senate appears ready to at least take up the retroactive pay bill.

    "The Senate has plans to take up this bill," he said. "Stop the presses: the Senate's going to take up a bill, even if they won't consider most of our other bills."


    Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-actio...#ixzz2h9AWbUXV
    Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook



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  2. 10-08-2013, 12:35 PM #2
    kathyet2
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    Fed shutdown leaves Americans stranded abroad

    By Tori Richards / October 3, 2013


    Part 32 of 39 in the series Shutdown 2013
    WHICH WAY HOME? Tentacles of the federal shutdown reach all the way to Grand Cayman Island.


    By Tori Richards | Watchdog.org
    The U.S. Customs Service was established by the first Congress shortly after the Revolution, yet when their modern-day counterparts meet to hash over the budget impasse, they worry about emergency funding to national parks and Head Start – ignoring what men and women of George Washington’s era regarded as an essential government service: the plight of Americans stranded in foreign countries.
    Just ask Florida businessman Michael McGhee.
    McGhee was ferrying a yacht back to the United States from the Dominican Republic and pulled into the Cayman Islands Tuesday night with engine trouble. He found himself persona non grata and told by Cayman officials to “go back to the boat and wait” until the budget impasse is over and U.S. Customs computers come back online. This would allow the Cayman officials to check the U.S. passports of McGhee and his four-person crew.
    “They said the U.S. does not have service at this time,” McGhee said. “I said, ‘Well, what does that limit me to?’ They said, ‘You have to restrict your crew to the vessel until you’re notified.’”
    McGhee owns Black Pearl Marine Specialties, a boat retrieval and repossession service. He has traveled throughout the Caribbean for 35 years.
    “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” he said, “and I’ve lived a long time. This is absolute insanity.”
    PARADISE LOST: A look toward Seven Mile Marina, where Capt. Michael McGhee is docked, confined to his yacht.

    Back here at home, meanwhile, the Customs operation remains open at Washington Dulles International Airport and presumably other national airports.
    “They may be considered nonessential out there,” said Stephen Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.
    And that’s exactly what it is.
    “This area of the Caribbean is called the outpost,” McGhee said, conjuring up images of an America beyond the frontier, where citizens received sketchy services at best.
    The federal government screeched to a halt Monday night, leaving only a few “essential” operations functioning. The House of Representatives met to push through emergency funding to keep national parks open and provide benefits for Head Start children, though the U.S. Senate has yet to act.
    McGhee, however, said he wishes people like him would get a little love. He encountered engine trouble after leaving the Dominican Republic Monday night and found himself without electricity for nine hours in the Mona Passage, a major shipping channel headed toward Florida.
    McGhee’s 128-foot yacht was invisible in the inky darkness while cargo ships the size of aircraft carriers bore down on him in a parade, jockeying for position like cars on a Los Angeles freeway during rush hour.
    He managed to restore power in the morning and arrived in the Cayman Islands late Tuesday, out of food and in need of engine parts. Normally, an American is stationed at the island’s customs area to greet travelers. Instead, McGhee was greeted by local workers. They took mercy on the stranded Yanks, looking the other way when the crew left the boat briefly to eat at a nearby restaurant.
    The next day was a different story when it became clear to Cayman officials the shutdown wasn’t some minor glitch.
    PASSPORT FROM ANYWHERE BUT U.S.? Come on in!

    “I said to one of the guys, ‘We are out of food,’” McGhee recalled. “He said, ‘I know you, go to grocery store — everyone else stay on the boat.’”
    But they still aren’t home free.
    “I’m under scrutiny when I’m here,” McGhee said.
    Watchdog.org wanted a comment from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and called Media Director Mike Friel for comment.
    His response?
    “Due to the lapse in appropriations and the emergency furlough I’m currently out of the office. Please leave a message and I will return your call on my return to the office.”
    Contact Tori Richards attori@watchdog.orgor on twitter @newswriter2
    Part of 39 in the series Shutdown 2013





    Please, feel free to "steal our stuff"! Just remember to credit Watchdog.org. Find out more

    Tori Richards
    tori@watchdog.org


    - See more at: http://watchdog.org/108900/fed-shutd....bU8NymUp.dpuf





    AND

    Some federal agencies block access to websites during shutdown

    By Earl Glynn / October 3, 2013 / 7 Comments


    By Earl F Glynn | WatchdogLabs.org
    Feel free to add the selective government shutdown to the ever-growing list of excuses for the Obama administration to keep the public from learning how its government does its business.
    With the federal government closed, most agencies notified the public that websites would not be updated or monitored, but some took unusual measures to block access to online information.
    NEA-Message

    Most federal websites say no changes will be made during the government shutdown.

    Many federal sites, like the National Endowment for the Arts, arts.gov, show a simple message that its website will be static during the shutdown: “During this lapse in appropriation, the NEA’s website will not be updated or monitored.”
    The US Census Bureau blocked access to its online information at census.gov, including data that normally is available to the public on nights, weekends and holidays.

    Some agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (noaa.gov) and the US Geological Survey (usgs.gov) allow access to websites that “protect lives and property” but block access to other sites.
    NOAA blocks access to its sites such as climate.gov and coralreef.gov. USGS blocks access to sites like bioeco.gov and geoplatform.gov.
    And, apparently, a government shutdown is not a time to check government resources from ethics.gov or biotethics.gov.
    Do not call the government about do not call lists during the shutdown at donotcall.gov.
    Information for the disabled at disability.gov is denied the public at this time.
    The Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov) went out of its way to block access to a number of its websites, including:



    The National Institute of Standards and Technology is hiding information on nist.gov from the public, but it’s almost business-as-usual for the US Patent Office at uspto.gov.
    A goldmine of government data normally can be viewed and downloaded from data.gov, but apparently the public cannot be trusted to access raw data during a government shutdown.
    Normally a file containing a list of over a thousand government websites can be viewed at data.gov. Watchdoglabs.org is reviewing a copy of that list from April. See a lengthy list of government sites blocked during the shutdown at Watchdoglabs.org.
    Earl Glynn manages Watchdog Labs and crunches data for Watchdog.org. Contact him at earl.glynn@franklincenterhq.org.


    Please, feel free to "steal our stuff"! Just remember to credit Watchdog.org. Find out more
    Earl Glynn

    - See more at: http://watchdog.org/109000/some-fede....GpKzlawl.dpuf


    Some federal agencies block access to websites during shutdown

    By Earl Glynn / October 3, 2013 / 7 Comments





    By Earl F Glynn | WatchdogLabs.org
    Feel free to add the selective government shutdown to the ever-growing list of excuses for the Obama administration to keep the public from learning how its government does its business.
    With the federal government closed, most agencies notified the public that websites would not be updated or monitored, but some took unusual measures to block access to online information.
    NEA-Message

    Most federal websites say no changes will be made during the government shutdown.

    Many federal sites, like the National Endowment for the Arts, arts.gov, show a simple message that its website will be static during the shutdown: “During this lapse in appropriation, the NEA’s website will not be updated or monitored.”
    The US Census Bureau blocked access to its online information at census.gov, including data that normally is available to the public on nights, weekends and holidays.

    Some agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (noaa.gov) and the US Geological Survey (usgs.gov) allow access to websites that “protect lives and property” but block access to other sites.
    NOAA blocks access to its sites such as climate.gov and coralreef.gov. USGS blocks access to sites like bioeco.gov and geoplatform.gov.
    And, apparently, a government shutdown is not a time to check government resources from ethics.gov or biotethics.gov.
    Do not call the government about do not call lists during the shutdown at donotcall.gov.
    Information for the disabled at disability.gov is denied the public at this time.
    The Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov) went out of its way to block access to a number of its websites, including:



    The National Institute of Standards and Technology is hiding information on nist.gov from the public, but it’s almost business-as-usual for the US Patent Office at uspto.gov.
    A goldmine of government data normally can be viewed and downloaded from data.gov, but apparently the public cannot be trusted to access raw data during a government shutdown.
    Normally a file containing a list of over a thousand government websites can be viewed at data.gov. Watchdoglabs.org is reviewing a copy of that list from April. See a lengthy list of government sites blocked during the shutdown at Watchdoglabs.org.
    Earl Glynn manages Watchdog Labs and crunches data for Watchdog.org. Contact him at earl.glynn@franklincenterhq.org.


    Please, feel free to "steal our stuff"! Just remember to credit Watchdog.org. Find out more
    Earl Glynn


    - See more at: http://watchdog.org/109000/some-fede....GpKzlawl.dpuf
    Last edited by kathyet2; 10-08-2013 at 12:47 PM.
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