Senate Republicans flee DC to enjoy Christmas while shutdown screws government workers

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

You’d think that if you’re a member of Congress, job number one would be to keep your country’s government operational at all times. But you’d be wrong. With a shutdown of the federal government now underway, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has decided not to address this burning crisis but instead to let his fellow Republicans go home and celebrate Christmas. They won’t be back until Thursday at the soonest.

Meanwhile, 380,000 federal workers are now furloughed over this holiday season, while another 400,000 are forced to work without pay. That includes TSA employees, as BuzzFeed’s David Mack notes, who now have the privilege of helping GOP senators make ther way home to be with their families while seeing their paychecks come to a halt.

Don’t fret for Congress, though. Senators and representatives alike still get to draw their salaries as though nothing were amiss. And that’s certainly how the Republican Party is treating the situation. There’s a bipartisan majority ready to fund the government properly, but GOP leaders are kowtowing to a delusional Donald Trump and his fantasies about steel slats rather than doing the right thing. As the country looks on in disgust, no wonder Republicans trying to make themselves scarce.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/22/1821094/-Senate-Republicans-flee-DC-to-enjoy-Christmas-while-shutdown-screws-government-workers#comment_72364624

[spanone]

1. they should single out the republicans for cavity searches.

but we already know what they're full of....

[brush]

2. Heeheeheeheehee! Glad I wasn't drinking or eating when I read your post.

I'd be cleaning off my screen right about now.

And I was wondering, Congress people must get a travel budget so do they get allowances from airlines if their reservations have to be pushed back because trump changed his mind from earlier this week and delayed their departures? And if the price of their flights went up because of the delay, do we taxpayers still have to foot the additional costs?

[spanone]

5. good questions....I don't know!

[erronis]

10. I imagine that the critters don't care about costs when travelling. The taxpayers should.

There are probably "guidelines" as to what level of accommodation you can book. Obviously dump's appointees didn't GAS (give-a-shit).

But all the travel expenses are government/business expenses. If you get delayed, bumped need to spend a night in a motel-6 - the taxpayer picks up the tab. (I'm kidding about the motel-6 part.)

[brush]

13. Thanks. I was afraid of that.

[EffieBlack]

14. They have a travel budget. Airfares for government travel - including Members traveling on official

business - are negotiated in advance each year by GSA. They are deeply discounted, are fully refundable, there are no change fees, and cost the same, regardless when the reservation is made. For example, flying from Washington to Omaha has a flat fare regardless when it’s booked or how often it’s changed. Flying from DC to Los Angeles may be a different fare than to Omaha, but it’s also a flat rate. If a flight gets cancelled or a Member’s traveling schedule changes, they just change out their ticket - taxpayers aren’t on the hook for additional costs.

FYI, this ONLY applies to official travel. Employees on personal travel pay the same as everyone else and have the same restrictions and fees. And this is VERY carefully monitored to prevent abuse.

[Freethinker65]

3. Potential photo op for Democratic Senators still in DC

Have a press conference on capitol steps asking why Republicans fled when there was work to do and other federal workers were furloughed.

Explain again that a funding bill previously passed the Senate last week with Trump's approval...that Trump changed his mind and forced the house to attach wall funding to the bill.

Point out the compromises given already that were at first okayed by Trump only after which to be rejected so he could fund raise. Say it is hard to negotiate what is best for the country when Trump's desires are so erratic...like pulling out of Syria, randomly threatening allies, threatening pull outs from NATO and international agreements, etc.

[Va Lefty]

8. Excellent idea! Why don't our leaders think like this?

[regnaD kciN]

4. To provide a counter-opinion...

The shutdown took place after the close of business on Friday. Most federal employees would be off during the weekend anyway. They had Christmas Day off and, this year, they were also given Christmas Eve off. So, the only days that they are really being furloughed so far are Wednesday (the 26th) and Thursday (the 27th)…and lots of employees had vacation scheduled between Christmas and New Year’s, anyway.

Now, if the stalemate continues much beyond the Thursday on which Congress is scheduled to reconvene, it will become a real problem. Likewise, if Congress breaks with recent precedent and refuses to reimburse furloughed employees for their forced days off. But, otherwise, this is probably the most painless time for a shutdown possible.

[912gdm]

9. I agree to a point.

The fed employees who enjoy those days off tend to be deskjockeys, the people who will be hurt the most, are as usual, the people who are on their feet all day like TSA. And those arnt super paying jobs so that impacts them greatly. Mix in a Christmas holiday where air traffic is going to be high, and high staff levels to accommodate that and you will have some very very bitter TSA agents.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

15. wear badges: Unpaid - #TrumpShutdown

[tclambert]

12. If it lasts more than 4 days beyond Thursday, we'll be into the new year and a new Congress.

[guillaumeb]

6. The next elections are 2 years away.

The GOP counts on voters having short memories.

[trueblue2007]

7. WHAT. WOULD. JESUS. DO..... sure would not let people go without their paycheck.

i know it's not Christian to say it. I am sorry God for my evil thoughts. but ..... i hate trump

[malaise]

11. They are vile scumbags