When the “government shuts down” the elected officials still all work.
Even some federal employees still work. There are core essential functions that have to continue or people may die, government property may be destroyed, etc. Those people all work–without any support staff.
They just won’t receive a paycheck until the shutdown is over.
The military continues to work. Federal law enforcement continues to work.
The reality of a government shutdown is that it’s actually very expensive and almost entirely performative (from the politicians perspective). Nothing good comes from it. It’s literally one of congress’s only jobs-- so they just look more incompetent than usual.
The federal agencies spend a lot of time and effort preparing for possible shutdowns that usually get averted at the 11th hour. When they don’t it’s incredibly expensive to deal with the impacts of delayed programs and contract issues, handling leave/time off during that timeframe etc.
Another impact is that it can drive top talent away from the government (potentially by design from certain political dispositions). Would you work somewhere that doesn’t pay you or delays paychecks?
That said, I don’t thing government employees have officially missed a pay check yet though. Like I said it’s all bullshit. They get to the brink then “figure it out”. The one a few years ago was the closest people got to missing paychecks. The solved it the day before the official pay date.
Another impact is that it can drive top talent away from the government (potentially by design from certain political dispositions). Would you work somewhere that doesn’t pay you or delays paychecks?
Of all the reasons I avoid working for the government this is pretty far down the list.
On January 6, yes, but they don’t stop working. The shutdown only affects the rank and file government employees that do things like run the government agencies, air traffic control*, Smithsonians, etc.
*Air traffic controllers would be considered an essential function, so they would actually get the joy of continuing to work without pay, until a budget is passed, then they would get back pay. (There’s also a possibility of some agencies having money, for various reasons, to continue to pay essential employees.)
Yeah, the elections get operated at the state level, but don’t you still need an employed VP to count/register them?
When the “government shuts down” the elected officials still all work.
Even some federal employees still work. There are core essential functions that have to continue or people may die, government property may be destroyed, etc. Those people all work–without any support staff.
They just won’t receive a paycheck until the shutdown is over.
The military continues to work. Federal law enforcement continues to work.
The reality of a government shutdown is that it’s actually very expensive and almost entirely performative (from the politicians perspective). Nothing good comes from it. It’s literally one of congress’s only jobs-- so they just look more incompetent than usual.
The federal agencies spend a lot of time and effort preparing for possible shutdowns that usually get averted at the 11th hour. When they don’t it’s incredibly expensive to deal with the impacts of delayed programs and contract issues, handling leave/time off during that timeframe etc.
Another impact is that it can drive top talent away from the government (potentially by design from certain political dispositions). Would you work somewhere that doesn’t pay you or delays paychecks?
That said, I don’t thing government employees have officially missed a pay check yet though. Like I said it’s all bullshit. They get to the brink then “figure it out”. The one a few years ago was the closest people got to missing paychecks. The solved it the day before the official pay date.
Of all the reasons I avoid working for the government this is pretty far down the list.
On January 6, yes, but they don’t stop working. The shutdown only affects the rank and file government employees that do things like run the government agencies, air traffic control*, Smithsonians, etc.
*Air traffic controllers would be considered an essential function, so they would actually get the joy of continuing to work without pay, until a budget is passed, then they would get back pay. (There’s also a possibility of some agencies having money, for various reasons, to continue to pay essential employees.)
Most will just work and wait for the pay, that’s what happened last time anyway.
Essential people will, but non-essential people will not work.