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Federal firefighters may soon face a pay cut

Sep 27, 2023
Funds earmarked for the force's temporary raise last year are running out, as firefighters deal with longer wildfire seasons and more severe fires caused by climate change.
Firefighters douse a blaze during a California wildfire in 2018. Federal firefighters may soon face steep pay cuts as funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law runs out.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Is there a better way to describe what we call a "government shutdown"?

Sep 25, 2023
The term is a bit misleading: Some government programs keep running even if their workers go unpaid. We asked experts for alternative terms.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack answers questions during a White House press briefing. During a shutdown, some government-funded programs, like WIC, could immediately lose funding, while others, like Medicare and the military can continue operating.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

A government shutdown would stifle flow of economic data

Sep 21, 2023
The threat comes just when the Federal Reserve really needs a clear picture of how the economy is doing.
The Federal Reserve relies on government-produced data to make monetary policy. Above, Chair Jerome Powell.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

As another government shutdown looms, government jobs lose their luster

Sep 18, 2023
Workers have been paid after past shutdowns, albeit late. But there's no guarantee they will after any future shutdown.
Federal workers are subject to threats of government shutdown, which might lessen the appeal of a career in public service.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The federal spending bill could make it easier to save for emergencies

Dec 22, 2022
Employers that offer retirement plans would also be able to offer a separate emergency savings plan.
Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

With a shutdown averted, federal agencies face budget constraints — and inefficiency

Oct 1, 2021
Because lawmakers couldn’t agree on a series of spending bills before Oct. 1, agencies keep running on last year’s budget.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signs a bill at the Capitol on Sept. 30 to fund the U.S. government and avoid a federal shutdown.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Shutdown deadline looms over COVID-19 relief talks

Dec 18, 2020
Democrats and Republicans have hit a snag in their deal, disagreeing over a provision that aims to limit the Federal Reserve's lending powers.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walks to the Senate floor at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 17.  McConnell said with a shutdown deadline looming at midnight Friday, weekend work in Congress is "highly likely."
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

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Government shutdown, COVID talk await Congress

Sep 8, 2020
There are two big things Congress needs to get done this fall.
As the Senate and the House return from recess, the pandemic and the prospect of a government shutdown loom on the agenda.
Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images

Reflecting on the longest government shutdown, one year on

Jan 23, 2020
How the longest shutdown in U.S. history changed the way one federal contractor thinks about work.
Courtesy Sunny Blaylock

For government contractors, shutdown debt can linger

Nov 18, 2019
Lila Johnson is still paying back the money she borrowed last shutdown.
Lila Johnson, a 72-year-old custodian at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said she would retire if she could afford it.
Jay Mallin/Service Employees International Union