AFGE Urges Congress to Avoid Government Shutdown
September 18, 2023
AFGE is urging members of Congress not to repeat the same mistakes they made a few years ago.
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Congress Must Do Its Job and Keep the Government Open
December 18, 2017
Over the past several years, the country has constantly been on a brink of a government shutdown not because we don’t have the money to fund it but because we can’t decide whether to fund programs that benefit most Americans or whether to give massive tax cuts to the wealthy, big corporations, and campaign donors. It is disheartening that we are once again at the brink of a government shutdown right before Christmas.
Getting caught in the middle of politics are federal employees who believe in their mission and want to provide quality services to the American people. Federal employees ensure the safety and security of the public at home and abroad, research cures for deadly diseases, keep our air, water, and food safe for consumption, and process benefits for countless seniors, veterans, and disabled Americans every day.
Wondering when or if they will get paid, and how they will pay their bills during a prolonged shutdown is a distraction they don’t need and it’s one we as a nation cannot afford. If there is a shutdown, 850,000 dedicated public servants will be told they cannot come into work, and those that do will not be paid.
The last time we suffered a shutdown, it cost the American economy $24 billion, 120,000 jobs in the private sector, and 6.6 million work days. In a government shutdown, it is the American people who pay the price.
Separating fact from fiction
Here are 3 things you need to understand if Congress shuts down the government.
Recent AFGE News:
Veteran Employee Appreciation Week Brings Together Labor and Management in Detroit, Serves as Model for Nation
September 18, 2023
A week of Veteran Employee Recognition activities is held at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center.
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The Activist: Juan Ibarra, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
September 18, 2023
The seventh episode of AFGE’s new series, The Activist, highlighting our union members who have stepped up to help make a difference in the lives of their colleagues and our government.
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