NASA Shutdown Update

Furloughed NASA Custodians In Florida Paid During Partial Government Shutdown, Brevard Times
“Most of the 95 custodians who clean the facilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida have not worked at their job in almost a month. But according to their government contractor, none of the workers have missed a paycheck. “It’s the right thing to do,” said Rosalind Weiss, community relations manager for Brevard Achievement Center, or BAC. “And we can do it because we are fiscally sound.” Weiss says the BAC, a non-profit government contractor employing mostly disabled people, is dipping into its reserves to keep paying its custodial workers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.”
Shutdown stalemate spurs fears of exodus from NASA Ames, Mountain View Voice
“A lot of our talented folks, they’ve already found other jobs because they can’t afford the loss of these paychecks,” she said. “At this point, it’s hard for us to justify what we consider meaningful work for the American taxpayer.” The experience was all too familiar for Matt Linton, a computer security engineer who left NASA in 2013 during a similar government shutdown that lasted about two weeks. At the time, “a major tech employer” in Mountain View called him up to offer a job with an 85 percent pay increase. Their pitch was simple: Sure, you love working at NASA, but we can actually pay you. With a mortgage on a Sunnyvale house and a newborn child, Linton said he couldn’t find a way to say no.”
Unpaid NASA workers protect critical missions during government shutdown, CBS
“But at some point, if the government remains in partial shutdown and NASA continues to be unable to pay its mounting bills, projects on the ground, at least, could face slowdowns or work stoppages. Insiders say the agency is probably on solid ground through the end of the month, but if the shutdown extends very far into February, serious consequences, in terms of delays and higher costs, may be unavoidable.”
JPL May Have to “Adjust Staffing Levels” if Government Shutdown Continues Into February, Pasadena Now
“Caltech President Thomas Rosenbaum on Tuesday issued a message for the Caltech community saying the institute’s operations continue despite the shutdown, but added “future negative consequences” could be possible – especially with regards to JPL. “The most significant impact is on JPL,” Rosenbaum said. “Prior to the shutdown, laboratory management worked with NASA to maximize the available funding for JPL’s tasks. To date, JPL has been able to avoid furloughs, but may have to adjust staffing levels if the shutdown continues into February.”
Doug Jones Risks His Alabama Senate Seat Over the Shutdown and the Wall, NY Times
“In Huntsville, the effect of empty offices at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on the Army’s Redstone Arsenal base has rippled through the contractors, restaurants and hotels that power Rocket City. “For us, because we’re a small town, the shutdown is kind of difficult. But there’s also things in politics that may be worth doing,” said Angie Gates, whose small family restaurant has lost patrons. “If Doug Jones doesn’t support the wall, I don’t support him.”
Furloughed NASA employee’s dream job turning into a nightmare from government shutdown, ABC 5
“A dream job quickly turning into a nightmare for one furloughed NASA Glenn Research Center employee. “They have that big sign that says research and development for the benefit of all. And my first day driving in there really made me feel like this is it, this is home,” The worker said. “That job security is what drew me to it” But now he’s sitting at home waiting for the shutdown to end to get back to work. “I really don’t have a ton of savings built up, I just have a month or two set aside so if this lasts another week or two I’m going to be in deep water.” The worker said. “I’m going to have to be talking to my landlord, talking to my creditors and telling them this is where I’m at and pretty much being at their mercy.”
Shutdown imperils NASA’s decadelong ice-measuring campaign, Science
“The spreading effects of the partial U.S. government shutdown have reached Earth’s melting poles. IceBridge, a decadelong NASA aerial campaign meant to secure a seamless record of ice loss, has had to sacrifice at least half of what was supposed to be its final spring deployment, its scientists say. The shortened mission threatens a crucial plan to collect overlapping data with a new ice-monitoring satellite called the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat)-2. The nearly monthlong spending impasse between Congress and President Donald Trump, “throws a giant wrench into that long-developed plan,” says John Sonntag, an IceBridge mission scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.”
NASA postdocs hit by shutdown get emergency lifeline, Nature
“Many of the NASA fellows are foreign citizens on J-1 visas, who would have to leave the United States within 30 days if they lost their jobs. “Our understanding is that the approach we’re taking means that the J-1s can continue uninterrupted,” says White. That doesn’t reduce the anxiety of one fellow on a J-1 visa, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid any potential retaliation. “This is a big point of concern for many of the postdocs,” the person says. “With this kind of visa we cannot look for another job. That’s really, really scary.”