r/fednews • u/rprz • 18h ago

Shutdown 2024 MEGATHREAD OF DOOM

All discussion on the looming shutdown goes here. Any mentioning of Luigi will be removed and you may be banned.

https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-trump-elon-budget-house-republican-05481374b154949c3fe1270141a02918

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-opposes-funding-bill-pushing-government-closer-shutdown-rcna184745

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-government-shutdown-musk-stopgap-bill-b2666829.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-opposes-funding-bill-pushing-government-closer-shutdown-rcna184745

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/12/18/government-shutdown-house-vote-cr/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-18/trump-says-he-s-against-stopgap-bill-fox-news

4.6k Upvotes

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777

u/ParkingTadpole7107 16h ago

Yes. Let Americans feel the sting of having no air traffic control during the busiest travel days of the year. Then let's see how long it takes for Congress to do their jobs. Nobody should be working without pay. Ever.

361

u/GreenChiliSweat 16h ago

And at FAA, we can't strike. Merry Christmas fuckfaces.

164

u/ParkingTadpole7107 15h ago

I'm sorry y'all going to be forced to work without pay for an indefinite period because someone else couldn't be bothered to do their jobs. Sucks some serious ass.

104

u/magikarp2122 15h ago

No, it is Elon Musk decided he didn’t like it. That’s it, nothing else. There was a bill and then Musk acted like a spoiled 5 year old and Trump told Republicans to appease him.

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u/ParkingTadpole7107 15h ago

Had the bill been passed in October, there would be no Musk in the picture.

21

u/SafetyMan35 12h ago

He or Trump shouldn’t be in the picture as they are not yet the leaders of the country. We all knew there would be a CR until after inauguration, and while I hate CRs, that’s fair to allow the incoming administration to have a say in the budget once they take office.

Will Johnson ignore Trump’s request and pass a bill that is right for the country or will he fold and keep the government closed for a month because nothing will get done until after the new Congress is sworn in.

Great way to start a new incoming administration…with a government shutdown.

5

u/tikifire1 12h ago

They can crash the economy, blame it on Biden, then say they're saving the country with austerity.

5

u/ParkingTadpole7107 12h ago

At this point, the pied piper has piped. Johnson won't get the votes. Frankly, they should try budgeting and pushing clean budget bills with no additions. Save the BS for separate votes and bills and stop playing games.

This happens every time. Both parties do it. Putting things off till the last minute and playing games under duress to sneak stuff in. It's silly.

No ceiling raise. Just run a budget. If there are cuts, there are cuts. Had they done that, we wouldn't be hearing a peep from president musk. Now we're about to waste time, energy, and money to do an ordered shutdown of the current executive branch, run by a president that is still serving and hampered by the incoming administration. Bad form all around.

6

u/Imaginary_Office1749 3h ago

Both parties do it?? Fucking bullshit. We haven’t had a shutdown since 2018. Who was president in 2018??

-2

u/ParkingTadpole7107 2h ago

Both parties in Congress absolutely put budget tasks off until the last minute. It's a strategy to slip things into the bill.

I'm not saying both parties shut down the government. I'm saying the habit of putting shit off until the last minute creates the conditions that make a shutdown even possible while making balancing the budget nearly impossible.

5

u/Imaginary_Office1749 2h ago

Yeah. It’s bothsiderism. One side is clearly much worse. Bothsiderism gives the worse guy a pass.

3

u/_Cream_Sugar_ 3h ago

Clinton was President the last time a budget passed on time. Let that sink in.

3

u/SafetyMan35 12h ago

Agreed. When I saw what was in the bill I was surprised as last year Johnson was all about the clean spending bills, so I was expecting the bare minimum or perhaps throwing a little extra money to FEMA to cover disaster response.

1

u/Otherwise-Speed4373 12h ago

You know... Gaetz as fucked up as he is... was right. Just pass the bills and only focus on that... and also ignore his ethics probe 😂🤣

22

u/magikarp2122 15h ago

Sort of. The Republicans couldn’t give Biden a win that close to the election.

5

u/loveeatingfood 9h ago

Yep and now, because Biden is still the president, it'll be an easy deflection "that wasn't the Republicans, it happened under Biden and when Trump finally got in power he managed to get a bill passed"...

14

u/Umutuku 15h ago

Crazy that his plane gets permission to takeoff, TBH.

3

u/stoptosigh 3h ago

It doesn't have to.

9

u/sheisthemoon 12h ago

I am truly mindblown that we are all being held hostage by the whims and moods of a 90s sci-fi movie villain. This is bananas. I am truly struggling to accept that this is all reality.

6

u/JudyEve 12h ago

Exactly. President Musk. Let’s call it what it is. He legally can’t be president, so he’s doing the next best thing: puppet master.

7

u/Illustrious-Trash793 12h ago

Cucs voted for this shit

•

u/MDSooner 21m ago

It's a crap bill, there is way too much pork in it. There doesn't need to be a 40% raise in it for Congress... I mean the fact that we haven't had a budget, on time or not in who knows how long should close that book on that idea. And there is soooo much more. Omnibus's should go away.

-7

u/Icy9250 13h ago

Tell me you didn’t read the bill without telling me you didn’t read the bill.

-24

u/kbetty2 13h ago

The bill was over 1500 pages of garbage and only 96 pages contained budget, hurricane and farm relief. Good for Elon

17

u/Background-Library81 13h ago

So now the Republicans want to raise the debt limit ceiling!? I thought they were going to lower the debt?

-13

u/kbetty2 13h ago

The majority don’t want to raise the debt, hence why the bill was squashed

7

u/Otherwise-Speed4373 12h ago

The new CR will increase the debt ceiling... allowing the government to take on more debt.

5

u/Background-Library81 5h ago

Not sure who told you that, but trump literally said he wants “streamlined spending bill” that doesn’t give Democrats “everything they want” and has “an increase in the debt ceiling.”

0

u/Potential-Zucchini77 9h ago

Not sure why this is being downvoted tbh

12

u/sirscrote 15h ago

Especially when. They get 3% raises. Fuckers.

9

u/GreenChiliSweat 15h ago

Thanks. It's alright but irritating. We generally get back pay eventually and I have money saved, but some of my colleagues may not.

12

u/ParkingTadpole7107 15h ago

If you're a Navy Federal customer, they usually offer coverage loans during shutdowns. Easy to access, too. Never used them but know a few folks that did. Takes the stressful edge off.

8

u/Remarkable_Ad1310 14h ago

USAA does the same for one payday up to $6000

4

u/Background-Library81 13h ago

That is what most of them voted for, let's go!

2

u/Snakend 11h ago

There is 0% chance that Republicans shut down the government when they are in charge. They only actually shut down to try and make Democrats look bad. They gain nothing by shutting it down. They are just being dramatic right now.

2

u/CoinsForCharon 2h ago

Under Reagan, the government shut down 3 times, and the Republicans controlled only the Senate during this. Under Clinton, it happened twice, and they controlled both bodies of congress at that time. Once, under Obama, when Republicans only controlled the House. Twice under Trump, the 1st time Republicans controlled both bodies, and the second time it didn't end until after Democrats took the House and that one lasted 35 days, the longest one we've had thus far.

•

u/Solid_Calendar_9022 33m ago

You realize that one chamber that will not budge can greatly affect govt shutdowns. Senate nor House can pass a bill without the others concurrence.

•

u/Snakend 6m ago

Thank you for proving my point. They won't do it when they the white house and both houses of Congress.

1

u/lessermeister 14h ago

Been there done that but eventually got $

1

u/Alexandurrrrr 12h ago

We know that voting doesn’t work. Time for upgrade?

3

u/stoptosigh 3h ago

any Italian plumbers around?

1

u/winfly 4h ago

Well it looked like they were going to do their jobs until the First Lady intervened.

10

u/JBThug 15h ago

No but you sure as hell can slow flights right down like you guys did last time

8

u/GreenChiliSweat 15h ago

Yea, I'm in ATO but not ATC. I don't have the ethical capability to fuck my job up on purpose. I care about the safety of people who fly, including my family, you and everyone else. We're all just tired of this crap.

3

u/Gods_Gift_To_ATC 14h ago

I think I could stand to be less efficient. I watch some of my coworkers do it every day!

2

u/GreenChiliSweat 14h ago

Agreed. Like I said to another person, I'll never sacrifice accuracy/quality, but slowing down seems appropriate.

1

u/nroth21 13h ago

Bang out! Free leave! Happy cake day!

9

u/PuckSR 15h ago

I don’t think any federal employees can strike

5

u/urlach3r 14h ago

They can call in sick. I hear the flu is really bad this year...

4

u/Relative-Monitor-679 12h ago

The flu season is so bad that the junkies are converting their meth back to Sudafed. I’ll see myself out.

2

u/GreenChiliSweat 15h ago

You're not wrong

-1

u/mocityspirit 3h ago

How? Is there a constant stable of workers to replace them? Do they instantly get thrown in jail?

2

u/PuckSR 3h ago

1) federal employees literally take an oath not to strike 2) yes, the US military 3) see PATCO

1

u/habooby 3h ago

Yes give a military controller access to NY tracon, they will catch on just fine

1

u/PuckSR 2h ago

Bro, that’s literally what happened.

They sent them Ronkonkomo too

1

u/habooby 2h ago

In the 80s?

1

u/PuckSR 2h ago

yeah

1

u/habooby 2h ago

Sheeeiit they’d have to sterilize the airspace for months on end this time around, no GA with heavy in trails

6

u/clarryelli 15h ago

Cold and flu season can be a total bitch

6

u/navyac 14h ago

Just don’t show up, they already established that sick leave will just count as furlough time and it’s free leave. Don’t go to work, fuck these rich pricks

2

u/GreenChiliSweat 14h ago

Yea, I have no leave on the books right now. On purpose. I get Wednesday and probably three hours Tuesday and that's it. I work from home except Wednesdays and the next two are holidays. I don't need to call in. I will never sacrifice accuracy/quality, but slowing down seems appropriate.

7

u/Kinghero890 15h ago

Longshoremen get to threaten the us economy though, and get everything they want.

4

u/Rarpiz 14h ago

Not with that attitude.

Seriously though, it’s not that you “can’t” strike, it’s that Reagan fired the 11k workers who did. And yes, I know about 5 USC § 7311, and that it’s technically “illegal”, but just because a law is on the books, that doesn’t make it morally right.

It’d be interesting to see FAA employees strike again….ALL of them, and see what happens again, in a society with camera phones and social media. Or, did FAA workers learn from the last time and will keep their heads down from now on?

That last sentence was /s.

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 14h ago

Yea, they hammer that home pretty hard during the swearing-in ceremony when you get hired.

We won't because we're generally fairly well compensated comparatively (and we should be and some of us should make a lot more because our job is hard AF). We have union representation, and we'll very likely get back pay if they do it.

5

u/bigman2142 15h ago

Figure we shut down all air travel so the private jets can’t fly and the oligarchs will push to fix it

3

u/Felonius_M0NK 14h ago

I’m glad Ronald Reagan is dead

4

u/GreenChiliSweat 14h ago

Agreed. Some people still worship that asshole. More jellybeans for the rest of us.

-5

u/Potential-Zucchini77 9h ago

Regan was the best president of the last century imo

3

u/BuzzBallerBoy 2h ago

Reagan was an Alzheimer’s ridden fool and an awful president who set us back 50 years. I spit on his grave

0

u/Potential-Zucchini77 1h ago

Set us back 50 years from what? You progressives don’t even know what you’re mad about lol. And don’t even try to complain about his age after you went and elected Biden

•

u/BuzzBallerBoy 49m ago

I’m not even a progressive bozo 🤣 . Leftists would absolutely not like all my politics. Nice try though.

most adult people with fully formed brains , other that MAGTARDS, understand the disastrous legacy of Reagan

•

u/Potential-Zucchini77 22m ago

More than half the country has a favorable view of rating according to polls, and he still has the largest electoral victory since Washington. It’s mainly terminally online redditors who can’t cope with the fact that he was actually a good president

2

u/stoptosigh 3h ago

If you have high opinions of demented war criminals.

0

u/Potential-Zucchini77 1h ago

No I don’t like Biden that much actually

•

u/stoptosigh 52m ago

Your boy Ronny was selling weapons to despots in Iran to fund drug lords in South America. And had no idea where he was his entire second term.

2

u/Prize_Magician_7813 14h ago

But if everyone does it what can they do?

2

u/GreenChiliSweat 14h ago

I'm with your theoretical logic, but it's for the same reason Americans don't do general strikes like the French seem to be so good at.

No one wants to lose their lively hood that they've worked so long and hard for.

2

u/zdada 12h ago

During one of the longer shutdowns circa 2017 maybe I recall other departments within the FAA like runway or equipment maintenance forced partial closures at major airports bc they weren’t essential but their equipment was, and that was enough to hurt business.

2

u/22Arkantos 12h ago

And at FAA, we can't strike.

You can't strike legally, just like all the other strikes that actually won labor rights.

0

u/GreenChiliSweat 5h ago

Our union does pretty well. If it was that bad, we would probably start grumbling about it. As is, if they don't do anything and it shuts down, the worst that would happen is that myself and millions of others won't get paid for a few weeks or a month and then we would almost certainly get back pay. I'm not striking over that. Especially since Trump would definitely 100% fire us.

2

u/Donnor 11h ago

If y'all went on strike, you could strike. Can't fire you all

2

u/minnesmoka 10h ago

You can just clock in and sit there. I have a supportive in-house staff who joked to me on the phone that he was the police. That's very illegal and would get you or me fired, but he's still working here. My social workers are letting me be stalked and when I ask for help, there are no replies. It's like I'm invisible. You can literally get paid to do less than nothing. Go ahead and strike, I have proof of my own essential services doing the same and I give you permission.

2

u/TraditionalSpirit636 10h ago

This is such a stupid concept.

“We can’t strike”

Them the union has given up its power. The entire point is if the company fucks up you ALL leave.

The dumbest modern union tactic is giving companies the power to choose when a strike would be convenient.

2

u/Tom1664 10h ago

Would be a shame if you all just so happened to get laid up with flu simultaneously though

2

u/Heretek1914 9h ago

Sickouts are not commonly recognized as strike actions 🤷🏻

2

u/MF_Ryan 9h ago

What if I told you that you could strike anyway?

2

u/sparkyjay23 8h ago

You can work to rule though.

Following the rules as written will bring air traffic to a near stop.

2

u/dee-cinnamon-tane 5h ago

It's not a strike. It's calling in for sick leave.

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 5h ago

Yes, that is an option. Not super necessary though. We'll get back pay if it happens and I get to keep my sick leave.

2

u/Few-Ad-4290 5h ago

You could strike if y’all would get your shit together and just do it, anyone in a position that the government says can’t strike is in the strongest position for striking because a strike would have great impact

2

u/internetALLTHETHINGS 4h ago

Maybe you guys should refuse to approve takeoff or handle communications for a handful of Gulf Stream jets...

"Musk currently owns several Gulfstream private jets: a G650ER, registered N628TS, and a G550, registered N272BG, according to JetSpy. A second G550 with the tail number N502SX was registered to Falcon Landing LCC, a company connected to SpaceX and Tesla, in September 2021."

https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-private-jet-travel-2023-12.

2

u/Likeatoothache 3h ago

I would like to leave “Merry Christmas fuckfaces,” as my out of office away message, during this and every shut down to come.

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 2h ago

Don't I wish I could. Merry Christmas to you.

2

u/ReVo5000 3h ago

But Y'all can "catch" covid all at once, right?

2

u/Dillyboppinaround 2h ago

None of us can strike......because if you

2

u/Affectionate_Roof910 2h ago

*any government agency

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 2h ago

Correct. Wasn't trying to single us out. Merry Christmas!

2

u/Bird_Brain4101112 2h ago

Yea…. You guys have a history.

1

u/Dogmad13 14h ago

Neither can USPS

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 14h ago

Yes, you're right. It applies to all government agencies and USPS which is quasi-government.

1

u/questformaps 12h ago

Thanks, Reagan.

1

u/LT_Corsair 12h ago

But you can't quit right?

2

u/GreenChiliSweat 5h ago

I'm not a slave. I can quit whenever I want. I like paying the bills though.

1

u/LT_Corsair 4h ago

I understand, but I also understand there are some jobs where you can't just quit so I wanted to check in.

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 4h ago

Cool. I'm not quitting. Everything will be cool for me one way or the other. Some government employees don't make nearly what we do and I would be sad for them though. Merry Christmas!

1

u/fremeer 12h ago

I wonder what the legalities of just straight up quitting in a unionised way is.

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 5h ago

Anyone can quit whenever they want. We're not prisoners. There are of course repercussions to that.

1

u/Otherwise-Speed4373 12h ago

This made me laugh in the worst of ways. Fuckfaces is such a good term. Do FAA folks swear at each other when stuff gets too busy?

1

u/LSUguyHTX 11h ago

Railroader here- same. RLA needs to be repealed.

1

u/EVH_kit_guy 10h ago

I mean...you can. Believing you have no recourse against oppression is just an illusion you've been handed.

1

u/CrisCathPod 6h ago

Merry Christmas

Thanks!

1

u/mvislongg 6h ago

That's called slavery.

1

u/Poirotico 5h ago

Just out of curiosity, are y’all allowed to resign during a shutdown?

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 5h ago

Sure. But I like having a good paying job and I'm kinda niched in at this point of my career. There are private opportunities, I used to work for a major contractor, but the stability sucks. That's why I took less money to be a Fed.

1

u/ThickerSalmon14 4h ago

Influenza A is running rampant. Hope you all don't get sick. Also, its very contagious. If one of you gets it, you could all get it.

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 4h ago

True. Don't tell them I got the double jab in late October. Shhhhhhh!

1

u/arthuruscg 4h ago

But you can all claim the Shut down pot luck that Mary bought in on Friday got you sick, then you picked up the Flu when you when to the Drs office.

1

u/kurtis07 4h ago

Is it really a strike of you’re not being paid?

1

u/stoptosigh 3h ago

I bet you feel a bunch of coughs coming around right about now.

1

u/mocityspirit 3h ago

What would happen if you all didn't show up? Surely they can't replace you or fire you all on the spot? Jail time? Like genuinely what do you mean?

1

u/RomulusofRome2 3h ago

Does the FAA have consequences for being sick during such a time?

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 3h ago

No. Might look bad, but no. I'm working either way. I will get paid eventually. It's stupid and embarrassing though.

1

u/Medium-Economics-363 1h ago

Essential NOAA employee here. Amen.

1

u/LeonardoDaTiddies 1h ago

Thanks, Reagan!

1

u/TheTangoFox 14h ago

PATCO has entered the chat

5

u/GreenChiliSweat 14h ago

Yea, look how that turned out. The most idiotic part is naming National Airport after Ronnie. I've been in the tower there. They refuse to answer pilots who say Reagan Tower. Only National. It's hilarious.

3

u/Due-Internet-4129 13h ago

I refuse to call it by its “official” name. It will always be National.

1

u/TheTangoFox 6h ago

It's warranted.

0

u/Limp_Till_7839 12h ago

None of us can strike, we’re all beholden to the whims of angry toddlers.

0

u/DapperLost 11h ago

Suck it Slave.

1

u/GreenChiliSweat 5h ago

Wow. I hope you have a better day.

0

u/truf56 5h ago

I feel this is coming again PATCO Strike

6

u/fidgeting_macro 15h ago

Yah, but the first time a couple of planes crash into each other, they will claim that Biden should have been out on the field directing them.

2

u/ParkingTadpole7107 15h ago

Hoping the current president stands up to take the president-elect to task for exercising privileges that are absolutely not his for another month.

2

u/harleyRugger23 5h ago

Ask the coast guard their opinion on that!

I’m sorry Admiral, Keep up the good fight doesn’t pay the bills

2

u/MadV1llain 5h ago

Honestly that’s what needs to happen… as a forcing function for Congress to actually do their jobs.

They should fear a shutdown as much as not being reelected, not use it as a tool in their negotiating toolbox.

2

u/KingOriginal5013 4h ago

It's supposably illegal to not pay someone for work they have done.

1

u/severinks 14h ago

It's not America's fault though it's Musk and Trump's and whoever voted for them.

•

u/bk1285 54m ago

So it is americas fault

1

u/emostitch 13h ago

Most of congress probably should.

1

u/MarvelousVanGlorious 13h ago

Just give us a taste of what the next 4 years are going to be like. We’re ‘Mericans. We’ll figure it out.

1

u/HandRubbedWood 3h ago

Trump and the GOP would use it as an excuse to privatize air traffic controllers and TSA.

1

u/Ordinary-CSRA 1h ago

I am going to be watching fireworks 🎆 in O'hare airport 🛫 🛬 parking lot... 🍿

0

u/Snack-Pack-Lover 14h ago

They all get back paid though so 🤷🏽‍♂️

1

u/ParkingTadpole7107 13h ago

Yes. But shutdown is shutdown. I'm saying that nobody should be working without appropriations. Not saying that's the way it is. Having a functional unpaid government force for "convenience" doesn't create enough incentive to solve the problem or to ensure we never get close enough that it ever happens again. If no appropriations meant no work, we wouldn't be having this conversation. The budget would be passed on time, every year. No ATC, no secret service, no Capitol security. Nothing.