Congress
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The Defense Department says it's decided it has the legal authority to bring most of its civilian workforce back from furlough even as a government shutdown persists. But the Pentagon warned that unless the shutdown ends soon, many of those employees will have nothing to do.
October 05, 2013 -
The House approved a bill to ensure furloughed federal workers receive backpay once the government shutdown ends. The vote on the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act was 407-0. Twenty-five members didn't vote. The measure now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to pass. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) had introduced a Senate version of the bill earlier this week.
October 04, 2013 -
President Barack Obama met with congressional leaders for the first time since the shutdown began, but they made no progress in developing an agreement that would reopen the government.
October 03, 2013 -
The Office of Personnel Management has made it official: Lawmakers and their staff members are required to purchase health insurance from one of the Affordable Care Act's health-insurance exchanges --but the government will still contribute toward their premiums. OPM issued the final rule, which goes into effect immediately, Wednesday.
October 02, 2013 -
President Obama signed a bill at the dawn of the government shutdown, and it could significantly increase the number of non-uniformed military employees exempt from furlough during the shutdown. So far, the Defense Department has sent no signals on how it would choose to enact the provisions.
October 02, 2013 -
Lower chamber legislators could not get two-thirds approval for one bill to fund the National Park Service, and another bill to get the Veterans Affairs Department fiscal 2014 money. AFGE, NTEU and Democrat lawmakers rallied on Capitol Hill Tuesday to turn up the heat on Congress to reopen the government.
October 02, 2013 -
With Congress failing to agree on a funding deal by midnight Monday, the federal government is now closing its doors for the first time in 17 years, and a government shutdown is no longer a matter of if but how long. Take our poll, and let us know how long you think the shutdown will last.
October 01, 2013 -
Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Frank Wolf (R-Va.) introduced the "Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act" late Monday. The bill would guarantee both employees required to work through the shutdown and those placed on unpaid leave receive backpay.
October 01, 2013 -
For thousands of federal employees who head to work today, it won't be to execute their agencies' missions, but to shut down their computers, fill out a timesheet and, in some cases, hand over their BlackBerry smartphones. Here are four things feds should know as they prepare for the first government shutdown in more than 17 years.
October 01, 2013 -
If they ever make a movie or TV sitcom about Congress, they might consider calling it something like "The Wizards of Oooze". And nobody knows why better than feds on the brink of the cliff, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
October 01, 2013 -
Despite coming close in 2011, a government shutdown hasn't occurred since 1996. Frank Reeder, who was director of the Office of Administration of the White House in the Clinton administration at the time, said one of the most challenging aspects was managing the morale of the federal workforce.
September 27, 2013 -
Federal employees began learning Friday whether they'll be forced to stay home if the government shuts down next week. Supervisors were tasked with informally telling employees today whether they are classified as "essential" or "nonessential," according to several federal-employee unions briefed by the Obama administration. Congress is prepared to work through the weekend, but the clock is ticking down for lawmakers to agree on a funding bill keeping the lights on at agencies beyond Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.
September 27, 2013 -
A government shutdown could furlough 800,000 federal employees. The shutdown could hit as early as Tuesday if a bitterly divided Congress fails to approve a temporary spending bill to keep the government running.
September 27, 2013 -
In politics, as in football, sometimes the best move is to punt. And even if you are not a sports fan or political junkie consider what Congress and the Washington football team have in common: So far this season both are losers. The difference is the football team is bound to win one while Congress keeps failing to score and punting, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
September 27, 2013 -
EPA also issues guidance to agencies, and OPM updates the governmentwide shutdown guidance.
September 26, 2013