U.S. Budget & OBBB | OCT 1 - Gov’t Shutdown Begins
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I read the article. I understand the author's fear that the Antideficiency Act could theoretically provide legal cover for the administration to issue RIFs. What I am saying is that Trump and Vought have made clear that they are willing to use RIFs even without obvious legal cover, and so far the Supreme Court has largely let them get away with it. Trump and Vought have already asserted plainly illegal rights to impoundment, and the Supreme Court has already let them get away with it. IMO it would be a mistake to give in to what are essentially hostage tactics from Vought when it is clear that Vought intends to pursue RIFs anyway. The Trump admin is already stripping power from Congress in numerous ways, and there is no reason to think that will stop, so I simply disagree with the logic that Dems should avoid a shutdown out of some mistaken belief that they will save their power or prevent Vought from pursuing RIFs by doing so.
Also, did you read this separate article the one you linked cited?
Reductions in Force During Shutdowns
The Trump administration plans to use the pending shutdown as justification for additional RIFs.
www.lawfaremedia.org
This is the big-picture summary of the analysis:
Using RIFs in this context is uncharted territory. Neither the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) nor the federal courts have squarely addressed whether a lapse in appropriations legally justifies the permanent removal of federal employees. No statute expressly gives agencies more expansive authority to initiate RIFs during a shutdown. Existing precedent, however, provides reasons to think the courts may uphold such RIFs, provided the administration follows the proper procedures. Ultimately, Congress has the legislative authority to prevent future disruptions to the federal workforce.
So yes, I understand that Vought has threatened to use a shutdown as a legal basis for engaging in mass RIFs across the federal workforce. I understand the Trump admin may make legal arguments that suggest they have more rights to initiate RIFs during a shutdown. But the resolution of those arguments is far from certain and given the Trump admin's proclivity to firing employees even when it should not have authority to do so I think it would be a mistake to let the threat of RIFs force Dems to meekly submit to every funding deadline that comes up for the remainder of Trump's term.
I can. This is the most inept administration in US history. The inmates are running the asylum.
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He may or may not have pursued RIFs without the shutdown... that's up for debate. But, unless I'm reading it wrong, the shutdown removes RIFed employees appeal rights and the government is under no obligation to bring them back after the shutdown.
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YUP. And Schumer walked right into it.
Centerpiece
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Oh, I totally get that. But any Government Employee who doesn’t realize it was trump, JD, Elon, Johnson and Doge and all other Republicans who cut, destroyed, diluted, and killed Government programs, jobs and entire departments - in other words their own livelihoods and their colleagues and coworkers jobs, careers and livelihoods - are stupid as fuck and they won’t “get it” anyway. But I seriously doubt those career civil servants have such short memories. They’re not ignorant dumbasses. They know what’s up… and they won’t (trust me on this) they won’t blame anyone but trump and he Republicans. And if anyone thinks so little of the civil servants intelligence is not to be trusted.
Same holds for the military families. Even the grunts know the shit show the other day - with every single one of their highest level commanding Generals and Officers being subjected to that clown show - have to know trump, Heggy and the Pubs don’t have their best interests at heart. And if any enlisted serviceman/woman doesn’t realize that the Presidency, the House, The Senate and the Supreme Court are all held by Republicans - and that they alone had the power to NOT shut down the government - then they are truly ignorant dumbasses. And God help us if we are ever invaded by China or enter into a 3rd WWar because our ingnorant dumbass military is so inept.
Now, that said, I don’t think our military service members are that inept and ignorant. I think they know their Generals were held against their will to listen to that shit show. And they what’s up in terms of this Government shut down. At least they’d better….
UNCRx85
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Anytime you hear evangelicals mention someone or some thing being benevolent,.... run.
Ddseddse
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What's batshit, is she's trying to normalize that a government of the people, by the people, for the people needs to depend on the beneficence of one man, and that he has a right to withhold that beneficence on a whim.
I know we like to bandy the "C" word around a bit (i.e. "cult"), but this is really very honestly cultic thinking.
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Northern district of Georgia issued an order today staying all civil litigation involving the US and its federal agencies so my client's case against the SBA is stayed - preventing me from billing hours on the file. Thanks Schumer. I'm the real victim here.
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[I’ve read that some more dedicatedly belligerent Dems see this as a terrible but important value added of the shutdown — make people see sooner the cruel direct impact of MAGA policies that were buried in the OBBB until after the ‘26 midterms]
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Reduction in Force.
Just more Doge.
Only now, Pubs get to blame Dems for the cuts.
Will the ignorant and naive public take that bait?
Perhaps.
That’s exactly what the “dumbing down” is all about.
They tell the plebes to go to Hell and send them away smiling.
Same technique used to get the poor to vote against their own best interests.
It’s an old playbook which has been used for centuries.
Eventually, the “Let them eat cake” statements slip out and the starving populace will be fed up. Happens all the time.
It will not end well for a lot of people, especially the Trumperistas.
If anyone survives the civil unrest and there is no nuclear option employed, the Facists will eventually be hung out to dry, upside down. Or, they will take their own lives in a bunker somewhere. Unless they can escape to Argentina.
Just more Doge.
Only now, Pubs get to blame Dems for the cuts.
Will the ignorant and naive public take that bait?
Perhaps.
That’s exactly what the “dumbing down” is all about.
They tell the plebes to go to Hell and send them away smiling.
Same technique used to get the poor to vote against their own best interests.
It’s an old playbook which has been used for centuries.
Eventually, the “Let them eat cake” statements slip out and the starving populace will be fed up. Happens all the time.
It will not end well for a lot of people, especially the Trumperistas.
If anyone survives the civil unrest and there is no nuclear option employed, the Facists will eventually be hung out to dry, upside down. Or, they will take their own lives in a bunker somewhere. Unless they can escape to Argentina.
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“… Vice President JD Vance later echoed the need for layoffs in a briefing at the White House, saying the firings would preserve “essential services,” even though such cuts have not been required in past instances when the government had to halt its operations.
… The Transportation Department, which halted the delivery of about $18 billion in infrastructure money that benefited New York, said it would review those grants for compliance with Mr. Trump’s directives on diversity, equity and inclusion.
In doing so, though, it appeared to dispel any illusion about the political implications of its decision. The agency said it had to furlough staff reviewing infrastructure projects “thanks to” Mr. Schumer and Mr. Jeffries, as it blamed Democrats for the shutdown….”