Thread: Obama ‘cannot guarantee’ benefits checks will be paid if debt deal isn’t reached

Quoted from e-mail release of information: "800,000 of 4.5 million federal workers deemed "nonessential" are being furloughed and will return to work following the government shutdown" (with full return of back pay)

Comment: My question is why is there not a closer look at the essence of "nonessential" before these workers are "returned to work"? (e.g. approximately 90% of the 16000 EPA Department are being furloughed). Also begs the question of the "essentiality" of the volume of the other 3.7 million not being furloughed....

Looks like a dandy vacation for a bunch of folks.

By the way, who gets to pick what is non-essential. In the real world, it's a much greater percentage - and you don't get back pay when you go back to work - so Federal Employees, quit whining! I'm betting you could shut down the FERC and no one would notice! Just one Department.

Obama Decries ‘Republican Shutdown’ From Rose Garden
by Matt Wilstein | 1:57 pm, October 1st, 2013

Surrounded by Americans who he said will be helped by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama condemned “one faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government” for shutting down major parts of the government “all because they didn’t like one law.”

The president decried a “Republican shutdown” that he said did not need to happen. “They’ve shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans,” Obama said. “They demanded ransom just for doing their job.” After informing the public of the many government services that have been shuttered starting Tuesday, Obama urged Congress to come to a resolution, saying, “We know that the longer the shutdown continues, the worst the effects will be.”

“I know it is strange that one party would make keeping people uninsured the centerpiece of the agenda,” Obama continued, “but that apparently is what it is. Of course, what is stranger still, is that shutting down our government doesn’t accomplish the stated goal.” He stressed that the Affordable Care Act is moving forward as scheduled today, with more than 1 million people visiting HealthCare.gov this morning alone.

At one point during the 20 minute speech, President Obama employed an analogy to Apple’s new iOS7 operating system that demonstrated how frustrated he is with Republicans who opposed Obamacare at every turn. “Just a few weeks ago,” Obama said, “Apple rolled out a new mobile operating system. And within days, they found a glitch and so they fixed it. I don’t remember anybody suggesting that Apple should stop selling iPhones or iPads or threatening to shut down the company if they didn’t. That’s not how we do things in America. We don’t actively root for failure.” Reiterating that he’s willing to work with Republicans to improve the law, he said, “We get to work and make things better and we keep going.”

The president closed by assuring Republicans that he has no plans to negotiate over the upcoming debt ceiling deadline, saying that if they “force the United States to default on its obligations for the first time in history, it would be far more dangerous than a government shutdown.”

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/obama-dec...n-full-speech/

Did You Catch the Comical Similarity Between the SNL Skit That Mocked Obamacare
and the President’s Actual Speech Today?
Oct. 1, 2013 4:45pm Billy Hallowell



Did President Barack Obama take direction from “Saturday Night Live” in crafting today’s speech about health care reform and the government shutdown? Probably not, but one of the similarities — a humorous example of life imitating art – is too ironic not to point out.

And it all involves the trendy tech giant Apple.

As TheBlaze reported over the weekend, SNL viewers were treated to a laugh at Obamacare’s expense when the show devoted an entire skit to mocking the confusion and complaints surrounding the health care law. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013...ilarious-skit/ Among gripes voiced by citizens in the comedic clip was one woman’s rant about her broken iPhone.

Flash-forward to the very real debate over the government shutdown and Obama’s comments about problems surrounding logging on to HealthCare.gov (we covered some of that this morning http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013...nwide-outages/ ). “Like every new law, every new product roll-out, there are going to be some glitches in the sign-up process along the way that we will fix,” said Obama, who went on to work these problems out in the coming days.

In an effort to provide an illustration, he invoked Apple and some of the problems that were recently encountered in the company’s mobile operating system upgrade (iOS 7). “Consider that just a couple of weeks ago Apple rolled out a new mobile operating system and within days they found a glitch, so they fixed it,” he said. “I don’t remember anybody suggesting Apple should stop selling iPhones or iPads or threatening to shut down the company if they didn’t. That’s not how we do things in America. We don’t actively root for failure.”

Watch Obama’s real-life comments here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=HmRA_tML2tE

Life imitating art at its finest.

( Go to link for clips of SNL Skit and Obama's WH Presser ) http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013...-speech-today/


Saturday Night Live Mocks Obamacare in Hilarious Skit
Sep. 29, 2013 8:45am Oliver Darcy



Late night comedy show Saturday Night Live turned the tables on President Barack Obama and devoted an entire skit last night aimed at mocking his signature healthcare law.

The roughly seven-minute skit depicted an actor playing the president delivering a speech dedicated to showcasing the supposed benefits of the healthcare law.

However, as individuals were called up one-by-one to testify in favor of Obamacare, they instead delivered some surprising news.

“I am psyched for Obamacare,” one woman said, explaining “now that I have healthcare, I can get sick all the time!”

“Mr. Obama here, he made sure my son will never have to lift a finger here to get insurance,” a man proclaimed.

Another man, who was called up to explain how easy it supposedly is to enroll in Obamcare, said he himself had failed to do so because it is “too complicated to figure out.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013...ilarious-skit/

Today, President Obama sent a letter to all federal employees, thanking them for the work they do everyday and pledging to do everything in his power to reopen the government as soon as possible. Read the full letter here or below: http://www.slideshare.net/whitehouse...ment-employees

Message from the President to U.S. Government Employees:
October 1, 2013

To the dedicated and hard-working employees of the United States Government:

The Federal Government is America’s largest employer, with more than 2 million civilian workers and 1.4 million active duty military who serve in all 50 States and around the world.

But Congress has failed to meet its responsibility to pass a budget before the fiscal year that begins today. And that means much of our Government must shut down effective today.

I want you to know that I will keep working to get Congress to reopen the Government, restart vital services that the American people depend on, and allow public servants who have been sent home to return to work. At my direction, your agencies should have reached out to you by now about what a shutdown means for you and your families.

Today, I wanted to take a moment to tell you what you mean to me—and to our country.

That begins by saying thank you for the work you do every day—work that is vitally important to our national security and to American families’ economic security. You defend our country overseas and ensure that our troops receive the benefits they deserve when they come home. You guard our borders and protect our civil rights. You help small businesses expand and gain new footholds in overseas markets. You guide hundreds of thousands of people each day through the glory of America’s national parks and monuments, from Yosemite to the Statue of Liberty. And much more.

You do all this in a political climate that, too often in recent years, has treated you like a punching bag. You have endured three years of a Federal pay freeze, harmful sequester cuts, and now, a shutdown of our Government. And yet, you persevere, continuing to serve the American people with passion, professionalism, and skill.

None of this is fair to you. And should it continue, it will make it more difficult to keep attracting the kind of driven, patriotic, idealistic Americans to public service that our citizens deserve and that our system of self-government demands.

Public service is noble. Public service is important. And by choosing public service, you carry on a proud tradition at the heart of some of this country’s greatest and most lasting achievements. In fact, more than 50 current or former Federal employees have received the Nobel Prize for their efforts. It was grants from the Department of Energy that helped businesses unlock new sources of renewable energy, and from the National Science Foundation that helped entrepreneurs like the founders of Google change the world. It is your efforts that will help this country meet the great challenge of our time—rebuilding an economy where all who work hard can get ahead.

So while the budget fights in Washington are too often partisan, your service to the country must never be. As one of my predecessors, President George H.W. Bush, once said, “There is nothing more fulfilling than to serve your country and your fellow citizens and to do it well. And that is what our system of self-government depends on.”

This shutdown was completely preventable. It should not have happened. And the House of Representatives can end it as soon as it follows the Senate’s lead, and funds your work in the United States Government without trying to attach highly controversial and partisan measures in the process.

Hopefully, we will resolve this quickly. In the meantime, I want you to know—whether you are a young person who just joined public service because you want to make a difference, or a career employee who has dedicated your life to that pursuit—you and your families remain at the front of my mind. Your agency leaders and I will continue to defend your work at a time when that work has rarely been more important. We will continue to work with your agencies to keep you and your families apprised and informed of what is happening. And I will continue to do everything in my power to get the House of Representatives to allow our Government to reopen as quickly as possible, and make sure you receive the pay that you have earned.

Thank you, again, for your service, your sacrifice, and everything you do every day for this country we love so much.

Sincerely,

President Obama

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/...own-government

Missouri's Ann Wagner Does the Right Thing in Response to the US Government's Ridiculous Shutdown



Ted Cruz intends to donate his salary to charity during the Government Shutdown. Thoughts?
http://teapartyheadlines.streamshare.com/posts/7559

A crowd of sprightly vets successfully stormed the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C., in defiance of the shutdown. Army vet David Hernandez, 90, when asked the secret to his longevity, replied: 'Good whiskey and bad women.' http://yhoo.it/1aM3bPQ

Veterans swarm ‘closed’ WWII memorial, knock politicians
Olivier Knox, Yahoo News 1 hour ago

Veterans of World War II — some in wheelchairs, others clutching canes and at least one advising a much younger reporter to embrace “good whiskey and bad women” — swarmed the WWII Memorial on Wednesday in defiance of the government shutdown.

Unlike a similar scene on Tuesday, there was little drama as the Honor Flight volunteers did their duty. Sure, more lawmakers generously protected the veterans by getting between them and TV cameras, and there were a handful of protesters. But Park Police officials made no serious attempt to keep the elderly guests out — and in fact ended up facilitating their visit with a wink-and-nod and a clear path from their buses to the memorial.

Yahoo News joined other media outlets at the memorial, which sits on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Here’s some of what we saw:

This is not auspicious. It’s closed “except for 1st Amendment activities.”



This is Eugene Morgan of West Memphis, Ark., He’s 96. He served in the Marines in the bloody Guadalcanal Campaign in the Pacific. He’d been planning this trip — his first to the memorial — for six months.




Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., was there. Vic Medina of Texas asked for a picture, and she was happy to oblige.




Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, R.-Mich., was there. He posed for this shot with eighth-graders from St Patrick’s school in White Lakes, Mich. Later he quizzed them on how many days of the week start with a “T.” He failed them. Because of “Tuesday, Thursday ... today and tomorrow.”



Lance Frye of Woodbridge, Va., was there. With “Joe Lee, who’s an Eagle Scout.” It was a beautiful day — but maybe not for Park Police spokeswoman Carol Johnson. “We’re not seeking a confrontation with anybody,” she said. “This is a very important memorial for these veterans. They have come a long way to see it. We know that.” Later she said the Honor Flight veterans were being given access to the memorial. (Among her toughest questioners: Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich. “This is so stupid it’s not funny,” he said at one point.)


Carroll Carey, a WWII veteran from Missouri who served in the Navy, freely advised this reporter that the secret to longevity is to “do a lot of dancing.” He was up at 2 a.m. to get on a bus to the airport. What does he think of the shutdown? “I hope they get it straightened out one of these days,” he said. “They’ve got to work together.”

http://news.yahoo.com/veterans-swarm...171519254.html

143-year-old law has Washington treading gingerly during shutdown
Steve Liesman , CNBC -- 8 hours ago

Administration officials now live in fear of a 19th-century law that could get them fired, penalized or even imprisoned if they make the wrong choices while the government is shut down.

The law is the Antideficiency Act, passed by Congress in 1870 (and amended several times), which prohibits the government from incurring any monetary obligation for which Congress has not appropriated funds.

In shutting down the government, most memos cite the law as the reason. The Government Accountability Office says employees who violate the Antideficiency Act may be subject to disciplinary action, suspension and even "fines, imprisonment, or both."

CNBC has learned that in several executive branch departments, high-level staff members review individual decisions about what government activities to allow for fear of running afoul of the Antideficiency Act. One White House official said he has advised his employees not to check their email or cellphones. Under the act, even volunteering for government service is expressly prohibited.

In a memo to his department employees today, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew cited the law as the reason for reduced staffing.

"For the duration of this impasse, as required by the Antideficiency Act and directed by OMB, the Department will be required to operate with only the minimal staffing level necessary to execute only certain legally exempted activities," Lew wrote.

The only exemptions to the shutdown concern "emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property," according to government documents. That has meant airports and the Postal Service are open, Social Security checks get paid and federal prisons and courts will operate as normal as do most national security functions including the military and the Central Intelligence Agency. But national parks and museums are closed along with big parts of the departments of Education and Commerce

Congress passed the law as part of a struggle—dating back to the nation's founding—for control over the power of the purse. Some presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, would incur obligations for which Congress had to appropriate funds after the fact.

What is ironic is that Congress in shutting down the government has to at least to some extent given up the power of the purse to the executive branch. Under the broad guidelines of what constitutes an emergency or threat to life or property, OMB now more or less decides what gets funded and what doesn't. But that latitude is limited by the fear of officials that, sometime after the event, a given decision is found to have been in violation of the Antideficiency Act.

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/143-...own-8C11319714

Yesterday, the Obama Administration got petty over the partial gov't shutdown, barricading memorial sites around D.C. that are normally open 24/7. This was among many needless politically-selected closings, like shutting down the Nat'l Zoo's 'Panda Cam' - despite it being fully funded by a Ford Foundation grant.

Thankfully, one group of WWII vets wasn't having ANY of it – removing barricades and refusing to be denied access to THEIR World War II Memorial. Well this morning, the Obama political games reached a new low, as workers with bulldozers set up new, heavy barricades around all memorials. But another group of WWII vets plan to do the same thing at the Lincoln Memorial today. We urge folks in the DC MEtro area to join them

WWII Vets Plan to Storm Barricades at Lincoln Memorial, After Obama ‘Goons’ Close Sites Down

Yesterday, the Obama Administration got real petty over the partial government shutdown, sending employees to barricade memorial sites around Washington that are normally open 24/7. Thankfully, one group of WWII vets wasn’t having ANY of it – removing barricades, with the help of fantastic GOP Reps. like Steve King (R-IA) and others – and refusing to be denied access to THEIR World War II Memorial.

Well today, another group of WWII vets plan to do the same thing at the Lincoln Memorial, as Weasel Zippers reports…

The same veterans group that managed to storm the gates at the WWII memorial yesterday is planning taking on the fences at the Lincoln Memorial today. This sounds like a capitol idea, pun intended.

Both memorials are open air memorials. The Lincoln Memorial is open 24 hours a day, normally. If you’ll recall, it was wide open to having someone throw green paint on it in the evening a few months ago.

So that means the Obama administration is making a conscious effort to spend more in time and money to shut off something which is normally open.

How ridiculous is this effort by President Obama to make the people “hurt” so he can blame it on Republicans, just as he did with the sequester, which was also his idea?

We still don’t have access to the White House, the people’s house, allegedly because of the sequester, although Obama has spent countless of our millions since then on vacations, parties and golf.

When you have the opportunity to pass bills for veterans and national parks,unconnected to Obamacare, and then don’t pass them, or spend more to close spaces then to keep them open, the reason is simply you want to continue to have people feel the pain.

And that, Mr. President, is sick.

Members of Congress are reaming Obama over the disgraceful barricading of these open-air public memorials.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) blasted the administration for trying to block the World War II vets yesterday, saying “some idiot in government sent goons out there to set up barricades.”

This morning those same “goons” – who somehow are on the job despite most certainly being “non-essential” – were setting up fresh barricades around major open-air memorial sites around D.C. (see photo below of their activities at the WWII Memorial around 9am).



As with his absurdly shutting off the “Panda Cam” at the National Zoo – which is already fully-funded by the Ford Motor Company Fund - Obama is using the shutdown as a political tool, just as he disgracefully did with the Sequestration. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-...-cams-go-dark/

Remember, during the sequestration – in fact, before it even took effect – Obama’s DHS insanely released thousands of criminal illegal aliens, citing non-existent budget cuts. Those released aliens contained dozens of violent criminals, most of whom are still at large. http://standwitharizona.com/blog/201...iminal-records

SWA salutes the “Greatest Generation” vets who stormed the beaches, for taking on Obama’s goons by storming the memorials this week. We urge anyone in the D.C. Metro area to JOIN THEM, and refuse to be barred from the People’s Memorials by political games.


http://standwitharizona.com/blog/201...se-sites-down/

Some Federal workers can collect unemployment during shutdown
@AnnalynKurtz October 1, 2013

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Federal workers who lose pay during the government shutdown can fall back on unemployment benefits in most states.

But the money comes with a catch. If Congress decides later to retroactively pay those workers, they would have inadvertently double-dipped into the system and will be asked to return the money.

It's not clear whether furloughed workers will eventually receive paychecks or not, once the shutdown ends. But that's how it played out during the government shutdown in 1995 and 1996, after which, state agencies tried to recoup the overpaid funds.

Related: Shutdown may force me into bankruptcy

Now, on day one of the latest shutdown, states with large numbers of federal employees like Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania have already posted advisories on their sites, indicating they plan to ask for the funds back, in the event that they overpay unemployment benefits to federal workers.

"If you receive back pay from your agency to cover the furlough period, you must repay any unemployment benefits you received for that time," the Virginia Employment Commission said in a Q&A on its site.

Who qualifies for unemployment benefits?

The laws vary by state, but here's how it generally works:

Federal employees can be divided into two basic categories. First, those who are deemed "essential" and asked to report to work. Their pay may be delayed, but they are guaranteed their usual wages and thus, will not be eligible for unemployment benefits. But their "non-essential" colleagues will be forced to take days off without pay until Congress reaches a budget agreement. These workers may file for unemployment because they're on a temporary layoff through no fault of their own.

The specific eligibility requirements vary by state and payouts usually differ based on a worker's salary and the length of the furlough. It's safe to say, however, that if the shutdown lasts at least a week, most furloughed employees will be eligible for benefits in the states where they work.

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a fact sheet, advising employees that they may file for unemployment benefits on the first day of their furlough, but it may take two to three weeks for the claims to be processed.

If payments have to be recouped, the entire process is likely to prove a paperwork nightmare for both workers and state unemployment agencies. California, the state with the largest number of federal workers, is already dealing with a huge backlog of unemployment claims after federal budget cuts led to a staffing shortage. "This will significantly add to the daily workload of processing UI claims here in California," said Kevin Callori, a California Employment Development Department spokesman in a statement. "We are already struggling to manage daily workload."

http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/01/news...its/index.html