4 ms·
> This happens semi-routinely, there is a boring reality that goes along with it. [...] retroactively paid in practice An important difference is that in the p
by Terr_ 1y ago
> This happens semi-routinely, there is a boring reality that goes along with it. [...] retroactively paid in practice
An important difference is that in the past employees were furloughed... but yesterday Republicans threatened they would permanently fire employees instead [0][1] and I'm not sure how it'll shake out.
Their hostage-taking threat falls flat though: They already have have a solid track record of capricious and/or illegal firings [3][4] since the election. There's no reason to expect appeasement would make them stop what they still want to do anyway.
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[0] https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administration-plans-to-retaliate-for-a-government-shutdown-by-firing-federal-employees-but-can-it/ https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administr...
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/unions-file-suit-trumps-illegal-plan-fire-many-federal-workers-shutdow-rcna234795 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/unions-file-suit-t...
[2] https://www.npr.org/2025/09/25/nx-s1-5544317/federal-probationary-employees-firing-supreme-court https://www.npr.org/2025/09/25/nx-s1-5544317/federal-probati...
[3] https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/tracking-trumps-unprecedented-often-illegal-firings-of-political-appointees-and-watchdogs/ https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/cre...
- flanked-evergl 1y ago[flagged]
- serenadeineb 1y agoAnd the alternative was ...
- flanked-evergl 1y ago[flagged]
- amanaplanacanal 1y agoSo they pass a CR, and the president ignores the budget and fires whomever they want anyway. The only people who can fix this are the Republicans in Congress, by pushing back on the president and making him actually obey the laws that they pass. Democrats are completely powerless here. Republicans made this mess, they are the only ones that can fix it, and now they own it. I guess we'll find it if this is what their constituents really want. Midterms are coming up.
- flanked-evergl 1y ago[flagged]
- johnnyanmac 1y agoIt really does feel like the GOP has given up on appealing to votes and are just trying to see how much more they can tear down in the next 13 months. They are either ready to make a disgraceful exit or they really have faith that Trump will pull some drastic move to rig the vote. Of course, the latter basically means civil war. Then again, Trump already declared war on the US recently.
- flanked-evergl 1y ago[flagged]
- larntz 1y agoThis is ridiculous logic. When a person makes a premeditated decision it was their choice, and only their choice. There is no one else responsible. Is he required to permanently fire anyone because of a government shutdown? If the answer is no, then he made a choice to do so (if firings happen).
- flanked-evergl 1y ago[flagged]
- mcphage 1y ago> for giving Trump an excuse to permanently fire government employees You mean that thing he’s been doing since he got sworn in? Clearly he needed the excuse.
- flanked-evergl 1y ago[flagged]
- thunky 1y agoCrazy to me how easily people fall for this us vs them, red vs blue garbage. It's completely detached from reality. You know, that place where real people live and suffer the consequences of their inept representatives. Focusing on which political party gets the "W" is so upside down.
- flanked-evergl 1y ago[flagged]
- HankStallone 1y agoIndeed. We've been begging them to throw us in the briar patch of a government shutdown for decades. The first one I remember was about 1990 when Democrats threatened a government shutdown if Bush the Elder didn't break his no-tax-increase pledge. He caved, and they (rightly) hung the "liar" tag on him all through the election. All he had to do was pander to his base and give them exactly what they wanted, but he was more interested in working with the establishment. (Which we should have expected, but we didn't know the Bushes as well as we should have.) Finally, we win one.
- johnnyanmac 1y agoI'd just like my country to not fall into the fascism its grandfathers fought and died to oppose. My bar is really damn low at this point and the US simply keeps digging under it.