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Government Shutdown

All articles tagged with #government shutdown

Fed workers pause 250th celebrations as burnout and job strain loom
politics8 days ago

Fed workers pause 250th celebrations as burnout and job strain loom

As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary with lavish celebrations, more than two million federal workers nationwide face burnout, job insecurity, and heavy workloads after a sweeping government overhaul under the Trump administration, including downsizing and widespread reassignments. Many employees—from FEMA to Social Security to TSA—are opting out of patriotic displays, citing loss of morale, pay disruptions from shutdowns, and a sense that public service has suffered under the current era of cuts and political turmoil.

politics1 month ago

Data Center Bill Targets Grid Costs as FISA Extension Talks Loom

Capitol Hill remains focused on energy and security policy: Guthrie backs a Ratepayer Protection Act to make large electricity users, including data centers, cover the full infrastructure costs, while separate headlines cover Trump’s push for a short-term FISA extension and the ongoing debate over a permanent DNI, a House Oversight probe seeking testimony from acting A.G. Blanche on Epstein materials, and looming shutdown risks tied to immigration funding.

Senate votes to dock lawmakers’ pay during funding gaps
politics1 month ago

Senate votes to dock lawmakers’ pay during funding gaps

The Senate unanimously approved a resolution, led by Sen. John Kennedy, to withhold senators’ pay during any lapse in federal funding, with the withheld wages released once a shutdown ends. The measure, which applies only to the Senate and takes effect after the next election because of the 27th Amendment, aims to deter shutdowns, though Kennedy acknowledged it won’t stop all future gaps in funding.

Senate moves to withhold lawmakers' pay in future shutdowns
politics1 month ago

Senate moves to withhold lawmakers' pay in future shutdowns

The Senate approved a resolution to bar its members from receiving pay during future government shutdowns, a move pushed by Sen. John Kennedy in response to two recent shutdowns (a 43-day federal shutdown in 2025 and a 76-day Homeland Security shutdown earlier this year). The measure, which passed by voice vote and would take effect in November after the midterms, does not require House approval or the president and is considered binding only on senators. Some lawmakers questioned its constitutionality, though Kennedy argues it’s not unconstitutional, and Senate leaders like Chuck Schumer expressed support while it remains unclear whether the House would adopt a similar pay-withholding rule.

Senate approves pay forfeiture for lawmakers during shutdowns
politics1 month ago

Senate approves pay forfeiture for lawmakers during shutdowns

The Senate unanimously approved a resolution to withhold senators’ pay during government shutdowns, to be executed by the secretary of the Senate and released once funding is restored; the measure, sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy, would take effect after the November 3 election and would apply only to the Senate, not the House, amid concerns about the financial hardship faced by federal workers during closures.

DHS Funding Ends Shutdown as ICE Funding Becomes Key, FISA Extension Granted
politics2 months ago

DHS Funding Ends Shutdown as ICE Funding Becomes Key, FISA Extension Granted

The longest U.S. government shutdown ended after President Trump signed a House-passed bill funding most of the Department of Homeland Security, easing pay for DHS workers while ICE funding remains a point of contention. A 45-day extension of the FISA program was approved to buy time for reforms, and Congress moved to curb senators’ betting on prediction markets. In health news, the president withdrew Casey Means’s nomination for surgeon general and named Dr. Nicole Saphier as the replacement.

House approves DHS funding to end record 76-day shutdown
politics2 months ago

House approves DHS funding to end record 76-day shutdown

The House unanimously approved the Senate-passed bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, sending it to President Trump and setting the stage to end the record 76-day shutdown once he signs. Funding for ICE and Border Patrol will come through a parallel budget reconciliation process, with Trump aiming to have the package on his desk by June and payroll concerns for DHS employees looming by May.

GOP Rift on DHS Funding as Shutdown Deadline Looms
politics2 months ago

GOP Rift on DHS Funding as Shutdown Deadline Looms

Republican leaders Johnson and Thune clash over how to fund DHS: push ICE and Border Patrol funding through reconciliation while other DHS funds go through normal appropriations; the Senate bill’s language zeroing out ICE/Border Patrol funding is a flashpoint. Johnson proposes a revised version to win House votes with minimal substance changes, while Thune signals openness to edits. Any deal may require reconciling the House and Senate versions, potentially delaying passage and risking a mid-May shutdown.

Trump taps Serco executive to run TSA amid staffing crisis
politics2 months ago

Trump taps Serco executive to run TSA amid staffing crisis

President Trump plans to nominate David Cummins, a Serco executive with transportation leadership experience, to head the Transportation Security Administration. Cummins would replace acting administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill through Senate confirmation, as TSA contends with funding instability and staffing shortfalls amid surging travel and looming events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The agency has seen hundreds of officer resignations during the ongoing DHS shutdown; the last Senate-confirmed TSA administrator was David Pekoske in 2022, and McNeill has warned that budget lapses are straining operations during the longest partial government shutdown on record.

DHS at the breaking point: a 68-day shutdown reshapes security and daily life
politics2 months ago

DHS at the breaking point: a 68-day shutdown reshapes security and daily life

CBS News documents how the 68-day partial DHS shutdown has stretched operations and morale across the department: offices run short on paper, trips and reimbursements go unpaid, and thousands of staff face unpaid bills, with TSA losing hundreds of officers to resignation and morale eroding; FEMA is nearing Immediate Needs Funding as the Disaster Relief Fund dwindles, threatening hurricane-season readiness and long-term recovery; other agencies cut training, delay intelligence and cyber work, and a Capitol Hill funding standoff delays border and immigration priorities, leaving a fragile system waiting for a narrowly scoped funding package to restore normal operations.