Suppose your significant other announced that, due to sequestration, romance would be out of the question starting in April. That, in effect, is how many federal agencies are reacting as they roll out furlough notices and service cutbacks as part of the budgetary (and political) process, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
Now that sequestration is here, normally upbeat federal agencies are putting their worst foot forward, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. The mantra is unhappy days are here again. They are telling people what they won't be able to do for them, the services they will be missing and how things can only get worse.
Federal News Radio's Julia Ziegler, and Sean Reilly and Stephen Losey from the Federal Times, join host Mike Causey to discuss a wide range of issues affecting federal workers. March 13, 2013
The Department of Housing and Urban Development will furlough all 9,000 of its employees for seven days between May and August in a bid to reduce costs due to sequestration. All employees, including career employees, will be furloughed the same number of days, which will effectively result in a shutdown of the department on those days.
The Pentagon will send furlough notices to civilian employees in the next two weeks. Defense components would not be spared from furloughs, regardless of any other efforts they take to offset sequestration.
In order to counter funding reductions due to sequestration, Customs and Border Protection has begun sending furlough notices to many of its 60,000 employees. An officer in the union representing CBP agents says these measures amount to a 40 percent reduction in salaries.
Ever wonder what feds who work at airports actually do? Many people complain that they mostly slow down important people, like us, who are on a mission or heading for vacation. But it turns out that they do some pretty dramatic and important stuff all the time, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
The Protecting America's Civilian Employees Act would require the Office of Management and Budget to submit a plan to Congress on how they would cut spending without harming the federal workforce.
Senior Correspondent Mike Causey asks: If furloughs come to your agency, will you treat them like a surprise budget vacation, or would that 20 percent per week pay cut put you under water? And is there a place where you can get an emergency, no-interest loan?
Carol Bonosaro from the Senior Executives Association and Stephen Losey from the Federal Times talk about how sequestration, furloughs, and other issues will affect the federal worker. March 6, 2013
Host Roger Waldron talks sequestration with Deltek's Ray Bjorklund, and Bloomberg Government's Cameron Leuthy. March 5, 2013
If there is a partial shutdown of government services, now or later, politicians will blame each other. But the big losers will be federal workers in IRS and Social Security offices, and TSA screeners at airports who are going to take the heat, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
Sequestration is officially a reality for federal employees and agencies. President Barack Obama signed the sequestration order into effect Friday night. After more than 15 months, fierce debate and a delay at the beginning of the year, the $85 billion in automatic, across-the-board budget cuts are officially here. Find out what steps civilian agencies and the Pentagon are taking, including employee furloughs. Plus find out what comes next in terms of negotiations between the White House and Congress.
The Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration — two of the largest federal agencies with very public missions — are taking divergent paths when it comes to dealing with the automatic, across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration. IRS says it is planning for five to seven furloughs days, while SSA says it hopes to forego furloughs through alternative savings.
The administration issued new guidance late Wednesday detailing specific steps agencies should take as sequestration now is one-day away. Danny Werfel, OMB's controller, told agency leaders to place "increased scrutiny" around several personnel issues, including new hires, training, travel and conferences.