Over the past 40 years, the federal government has shut down 21 times due to political disagreements over funding.
Most of America, including the government itself, goes largely unaffected by a government shutdown. But for federal workers who are furloughed or required to work without a paycheck, a lapse in government funding can cause financial problems, leading some to default on debt or miss rent payments. This can result in real hardships up to and including eviction.
The blame for this rests squarely on the lawmakers who fail to fund the government.
Remarkably, though, some Democrats in Congress believe that private citizens and businesses should bear the ill consequences of government shutdowns that put furloughed federal workers in financially precarious positions.
Earlier this month, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, along with 30 Democratic co-sponsors, introduced the Federal Employees Civil Relief Act. This bill, if passed, would hold private citizens and businesses criminally liable for attempting to enforce certain debts against unpaid federal workers during a government shutdown.
Specifically, it would make it a federal misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison, for property owners, mortgage companies, and student loan servicers to enforce lease and loan obligations against federal workers without a court order if the federal workers are financially affected by a shutdown.
This would essentially pass the buck of responsibility from Congress—who should be paying federal workers—to private citizens and businesses.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
9 comments:
Pass a Damn Law NOW so their may be NO more shutdowns
or else it will come up year after year .....sick of it !!!
No More allowed by either Party & there is No need for it
anyway ......none ever !!!! I only Hurts Americans & waist
enough to build the damn wall every time !!!! Billions
Maybe republicans should put up a bill that says if during a government shut down the obstructionist party pays out 50% of their paychecks
Better idea for Sen. Shatzhead would be to dock Congressional pay for one week for each day that Federal workers are unpaid. We all realize that they eventually get the back pay when Congress finally cuts a deal. So it is an inconvenience.
Congress should work without pay and should be held accountable for all monies due to their own incompetence. Additionally for them to receive a raise it should be put to a popular vote in the next election. Sign that into law.
the public pays for the shut down anyway , what the hell are talking about.
It's not working with out pay people
Everyone of them get paid anyway
What is so hard to understand
These are the kind of laws that create unintended consequences. They are the stupid laws they make all the time. Stop the BS!
5:51 Your still missing the point.
So let me get this straight? The people who we PAY to run the government can't agree on things so now we should also PAY because they didn't get the job done? Usually if someone you PAY doesn't get the job done they get FIRED and REPLACED!!!
At least that is how it works in the private sector aka REAL WORLD
Post a Comment