Jim Caswell of NAFSR wrote the following and I couldn’t say it any better..
The partial government shutdown has now become the longest in the history of the nation. Most of us experienced one or more shutdowns during our careers. We know from personal experience the difficulties being furloughed can be for employees and their families.
While NAFSR cannot do much as an organization about the situation, there are opportunities that we as individuals can and should do. Accordingly, I’m asking Members to reach out to furloughed Forest Service employees in your area, let them know retirees care and are concerned about their well-being and the well-being of their families. Please offer whatever support you can, even if it’s just an ear for them to vent or a shoulder to cry on. Take them out for coffee or lunch, but above all ensure they know that NAFSR members* care about them.
Please consider contacting your congressional delegation and ask them to find a solution to this impasse and end the shutdown. The Forest Service has approximately 24,000 employees stationed throughout the nation. All they really want to do is go back to work.
Thank you for caring. Together, we can help shoulder some of their burden.
Jim Caswell
* substitute “fellow citizens” or “members of The Smokey Wire community.” While all of us don’t live close enough to reach out personally, we all can call our congressional delegation.
Congress has passed appropriations bill that would end the shutdown were President Trump willing to sign them. Call the White House.
Yep, what Andy said.
I thought Congress was defined as the House and Senate and the Senate hadn’t passed a bill. What am I missing?
The House-passed appropriation bills are IDENTICAL to what the Republican-controlled Senate passed in the last Congress. That was the point. To make it clear that this is Trump’s shut-down, as he has claimed.
I still think it’s worth it to call our R Senators.. some have already voted to open and they should be applauded and the others encouraged. Especially the leadership of the R’s, to be leaders and not leave the D’s and the D to their standoff.
Senate passed a bill prior to Christmas that would fund agencies but NOT the wall. McConnell can bring it back up now. I imagine the House would be happy to vote on it.
YES – we need to call our members of congress to let them know it’s not OK to keep the govt. shutdown, create financial hardships for fed employees and contractors and delay important work.
McConnell is refusing to allow the bill to be introduced in the Senate unless he knows the President will sign it. If 2/3 of the house and senate vote for the bill, a veto can be overridden. But even that is not being allowed because of McConnell.
My congressional representatives are ALL (democrats and republicans and representatives and senators) are all for ending the shutdown with the current funding bills. But until McConnell allows the senate to vote or there is some other way to get around McConnell, nothing is going to happen…
I am a retiree and am also affected by the government. But I as Why is this all about placing blame on President Trump and everyone believing the skewed media’s interpretation. Democrats refuse to discuss a deal because they control the Senate. The President walks away and the media claims he has a “hissy”. What part are the socialistic democrats playing in a UN American power struggle. Where are the funds once available for a wall. Where is the support for a wall that the democrats once touted. What is the media hiding? I
This is not a “bipartisan” shutdown in any way, shape or form….
BREAKING: McConnell blocks House bill to reopen government for second time
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/425414-mcconnell-blocks-house-bill-to-reopen-government-for-second-time