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Shutdown

Furloughs Hit LPI

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
January 24, 2019
Filed under

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

13 responses to “Furloughs Hit LPI”

  1. fcrary says:
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    And, since LPI organizes it, that probably hits the 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (this March) as well.

  2. ThomasLMatula says:
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    It appears nothing will be done until Monday as Speaker Pelosi is giving the House members another 3 day weekend.

    https://www.foxnews.com/pol

    It also appears that efforts to a least pay those who are required to work are still falling short.

    https://www.thegatewaypundi

    Democrats Block GOP Attempts to Pay Federal Workers During Shutdown

    Speaker Pelosi and President Trump really need to put aside their dislike for each other and start making a deal as this is nuts. Sure, neither will be happy with it, but that is what a compromise is. Hopefully the moderates in both parties will just get together and over ride both of them to end it.

    • Michael Spencer says:
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      “Speaker Pelosi is giving the House members another 3 day weekend”

      Not entirely fair, is it, any more than, in your case, for instance, that classroom hours bear any relationship to the work you do?

      And I deleted the rest of my post, mostly because what I wrote was just noise 🙂

      • ThomasLMatula says:
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        It’s not about work, it’s about appearances… It sends the message that they see what is happening as business as usual instead of the crisis it is. Until both sides treat the shutdown as their number one priority, and act that way, nothing will happen. And that means talking to each other instead of grandstanding in media appearances.

        BTW I trust you saw the news that President Trump is willing to forgo the new wall designs and just finish the wall with the same Bollard Wall Fence design that the Bush and Obama Administrations used for the sections (around 500-600 miles) of wall Congress funded under their Administrations. Funny how Congress didn’t stop providing money for the wall until President Trump asked for it. It just goes to show you how crazy Washington has become.

        • Vladislaw says:
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          “In September 2017, USA Today took on the laborious task of surveying every member of Congress to determine their position on Trump’s wall. At the time, the White House was requesting $1.6 billion to begin wall construction. The survey found that just 69 of the 292 Republicans in Congress said they supported Trump’s funding request. Three outright opposed it, but the majority avoided answering the question directly.

          In their two years in control of Congress, Republicans did not prioritize Trump’s border wall. They approved $1.6 billion for border security projects for fiscal 2018, but only a fraction of that was to be used for construction of a wall. They were willing to kick in another $1.6 billion for fiscal 2019, a fraction of what the project could ultimately cost.

          Republicans largely support enhancing border security with more patrol agents and technology. But few saw the merits in a wall along the southern border. “People can climb over the wall or go under the wall or through the wall. We’ve seen that in different places,” Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.), the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, told The Post in September.

          Then, Trump set up the wall funding as a battle between the White House and Democratic leaders, and Republicans were forced to pick sides. The options were either to buck Trump and side with Democrats in rejecting his demand for $5.7 billion or to stand by Trump and allow the government to shut down.”

          https://www.washingtonpost….

          • Zed_WEASEL says:
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            From what I read online. Just building the wall on the US Mexican border is anywhere from $35B to $80B total with about $5.5B annually. That is in FY2019 dollars. Who knows how much in addition to maintain it once build.

            In other words at least 3 presidential terms and 6 Congressional elections.

            So Trump’s wall of the South will likely to be partially build if at all.

          • ThomasLMatula says:
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            So USA Today only got a third of the Republicans to talk to them and only 3 opposed it. Sounds about right. The fact that the majority ignored them says nothing about their actual opinions. But at least you have the Democratic talking points down ?

            Here is another poll that asked the CBP agents who actually work on the border, not polticians in Washington, what they think about a wall. Not surprisingly they have a different view.

            https://www.washingtontimes

            Border Patrol agents overwhelmingly support Trump’s wall in new survey

          • Michael Spencer says:
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            “few [Republicans] saw the merits in a wall along the southern border”

            Border security is complex and nuanced. To lump together all Republicans does a disservice and ignores the fact that many Republicans are reflective and fully informed on this and other policy issues.

            This fact creates huge problems for our country: those of us identifying as progressive or Democrats have difficulty compromising because we are seen compromising, not with well-informed and thoughtful Republicans, but with policies springing from WH buffoonery.

            This does not make us better people. Or citizens. Nor does it help our country.

        • Michael Spencer says:
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          I take your point on appearances; you are exactly right.

          On using the previous designs: I’ve made the point elsewhere that the President shoots himself in the foot. It’s difficult to agree with him on any issue, even when willing. He’s just so hideously polarizing; another example of appearances I suppose.

          Does the above sound prejudicial? It sure does, and not in a good way. Human nature I suppose. But standing next to H.W. Bush just feels different.

        • Mike Oliver says:
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          >>forgo the new wall designs and just finish the wall with the same Bollard Wall Fence design<< So do you think the cost of the wall will drop back to the 6.5 million per mile rather than the 24.4 million per mile of the new design?

      • Vladislaw says:
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        “January 2017: GOP Majority
        January 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        February 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        March 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        April 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        May 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        June 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        July 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        August 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        September 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        October 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        November 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        December 2017: Wall NOT an Emergency
        January 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        February 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        March 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        April 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        May 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        June 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        July 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        August 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        September 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        October 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        November 2018: Wall NOT an Emergency
        November 2018: Democratic majority elected in the house
        January 3rd, 2019: Democrats sworn in at the House
        January 4th, 2019: Wall is a EMERGENCY!!!”

        • ThomasLMatula says:
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          Actually your first part is wrong as the Senate needs a two majority to vote on a budget. But you show just how patient he has been with Congress to approve finishing the border. This is the fourth CR he had signed with them promising they will do something about it.

          Also you are wrong in that the previous DID approve funding for the wall.

          https://www.cbsnews.com/new

          House passes spending bill with $1.6B border wall money wrapped in

  3. Gone says:
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    “…Only work related to individual, PI-led grants can continue…”- at least that is a glimmer of good news in this mess. Some other contractors started furloughing today – even if their contracts would allow them to eventually be reimbursed they simply dont have the liquid cash on hand to continue making payroll. Something the arrogant “leaders” in Congress and Executive dont seem to give a s$%^ about. Also those “excepted” govt employees that have to show up for work still have to gas their cars, take subways, pay tolls, and keep their kids in daycare, etc while they have to work for an IOU. Why should I have to take a payday loan because these idiots cant do their jobs and find a compromise just like every other mixed Party US Govt has had to do! They are only now discussing compromises? really? 30+ days in ffs?

    IMO the Bill in the Senate seemed agreeable- Trump gives up a continuous “30ft high wall” but gets funding to beef it up in a few areas plus funding for increased enforcement, Pelosi can say she thwarted Trump’s full wall plan and gets a major deal for DACA etc. You would think that these two 70+ year olds would have learned by now that you usually don’t get exactly what you want in this world – take a 70% win and lets get going.