Our esteemed lawmakers would make sure the money was appropriated and guaranteed. Just like they did with ICE and Trump's Big Fat Beautiful Bill they all gleefully passed

And it has nothing to do with good will or anything remotely similar. In fact, they are aiming at the opposite and none of it has to make sense to any of us because we're the intended victims.

nt

It doesn't make sense to me

The rule is that the essential employee is to show up for work but cannot be paid until Congress authorizes the budget their salaries come from. If they want to call in sick, it's supposed to count against their sick leave.

The non-essential employees don't show up for work; they are furloughed.

In both cases, however, they are "made whole" in that when the appropriations happen they are to be paid all their back pay. The essential workers, though, for being essential are still to go to work, with any expense that entails, and cannot get another job because, well, they're full-time employees and that puts a crimp in their availability. Meanwhile, the non-essential employees can stay home (granted, without pay) or get part-time/temp gig if they can find one.

From Reagan busting the air traffic controller strike and thus destroying its union, to Republicans IN COMPETE CONTROL OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT causing this shutdown to begin with, to the Trump administration MAGA'ing up its policies by removing statements on its websites that furloughed employees would be sure to receive their pay in the event of a shutdown.

...period and have not moved to fix this problem either.

I'm as angry at Reagan and MAGA as anyone, but I think in this case both parties have failed. Not equally--I'm not saying that. I am merely pointing out that this does not need to be happening.

Wouldn't it be nice to elect a Democratic administration following a successful Democratic administration to fix every single problem we have rather than a Republican administration that cashes out on broad-based economic success from the Democrat and then runs our country into the ditch and we have to focus our efforts on fixing that first when we regain power?

But despite that Democrats still managed to do some good things--like the ACA.

But yes, Democrats having an opportunity to actually enact their agenda after cleaning up the mess left by the latest Republican disaster would be a hugely welcome change.

Apparently the American electorate believes otherwise....

- Do you think Reagan/Bush warranted three straight election wins?

- Which do you think would have been better for our country? Reagan/Bush or Clinton/Gore and Obama/Hillary?

- Which would have been better for our country: Bush II or Gore?

- Which would have been better for our country: Trump or Hillary?

PS - Your point just proved mine -- thanks!

Still, there are private air traffic controllers working in the U.S. today. Through its Contract Tower Program, the FAA allows airports with limited air traffic to staff their towers with controllers employed by private companies. Just over half of all federal air traffic control towers are contract towers, mostly because they’re at smaller general aviation airports.

Pretty much the point of using them.

What if one of the consequences of a government shutdown was that your local ER closed? Would it be acceptable that people died in the parking lot? Would it be okay that if you had a heart attack there was no one there to save your life?

There are services that should not be impacted by the petulance of politicians.