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Home Front: Politix
Congress Strikes a Budget Deal, Averts Shutdown
2011-04-09
Congressional leaders, with barely an hour to go before a federal government, announced late Friday night they had reached a deal to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.

House Speaker John Boehner, speaking briefly to reporters after talks had concluded, said the plan was to pass one last short-term spending resolution Friday night to buy lawmakers the time needed to prepare and pass the final budget bill.
While I am glad our armed forces do not go without pay, my first question is "Who blinked"?
Posted by:DarthVader

#16  Unfortunately, to replace such programs the process degenerates into a graft pit with influences demanding perfection [and still not getting it] rather than simply mod an existing system that covers a 100 percent of old needs and 70 percent of new requirements. Instead of what needs to be done, it devolves into gold plating and unending extension with each new 'idea'. Fortunately, life and death killed that bureaucratic mentality in getting combat stuff to the troops in the field these last few years. You think they could do the same back in the rear with the administrators. Nah.
Posted by: Procopius2k    2011-04-09 22:23  

#15  Thank you, Fed Peon. That is useful, if disturbing, information.
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-04-09 21:56  

#14  DFAS is a major headless chicken running. They use an ancient DOS program for payroll and leave requests. It can't track some kinds of leave and we still must use paper records for that. The program is *not* user friendly. Even long-standing employees have trouble inputting leave requests correctly.

The worst part is that timecards must be filled out and submitted to DFAS before the actual end of the pay period. There are only a couple of days to fix the inevitable changes and mistakes before pay goes out. Private businesses have the sense to run paychecks one pay cycle behind so they have to time to absorb changes, check figures and fix mistakes.

Even a few days' shutdown would have thrown a huge monkey wrench into this system. It would take a while to straighten it all out.
Posted by: Fed Peon   2011-04-09 21:10  

#13  I had a friend who was "killed off" by DFAS three times. His wife found the first notice of retirement pay termination due to death rather humorous. The next two notices over a 3 year period were not as funny. They took months to correct.
Posted by: Besoeker   2011-04-09 19:46  

#12  DFAS is one of the worst government bureaucratic nightmares. They will screw up Soldier pay for fun.
I would fire them all if I could and higher a decent paymaster. Maybe Intuit?
Posted by: newc   2011-04-09 19:24  

#11  Their Leave and Earnings statements (which were prepared 4 days ago) HAVE been decremented.

Maybe. If so, then it will be corrected on the following month's LES. They really don't want to handle 500,000 applications for correction of military records.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2011-04-09 17:35  

#10  ...to pass one last short-term spending resolution Friday night to buy lawmakers the time needed to prepare and pass the final budget bill.
Posted by: Willy   2011-04-09 13:22  

#9  Drama queens.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2011-04-09 12:23  

#8  While I am glad our armed forces do not go without pay, my first question is "Who blinked"? Posted by DarthVader

Their Leave and Earnings statements (which were prepared 4 days ago) HAVE been decremented. Time will tell if they are corrected by payday and the funds are deposited.

A simple Presidential Executive Order could have prevented this. I guess this means no Christmas basketball tour to Bagram Air Base is planned.
Posted by: Besoeker   2011-04-09 10:36  

#7  This wasn't a resolution, a continuing resolution. It was the budget for the year we are over half finished with.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2011-04-09 09:26  

#6  I heard zero said he was NOT going to pass another resolution.

So I'll take it as a defeat for the Used Car Saleman.
Posted by: Bobby   2011-04-09 09:11  

#5  Who blinked?

There was enough on the table that it appears both sides can claim the other blinked. %78 billion in cuts from Obama's request, 40 billion in real cuts. DC can't fund abortions, but Planned Praenthood continues to get % from feds for contributions to donks. Let the spinning begin. It will be like this till the TEA Party takes over or the markets collapse.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2011-04-09 04:57  

#4  I promise you the "Commander In Chief" did nothing at all to support our Soldiers.
I bet someone who cares gave this little man another week to figure out his position.

This President sucks ass.
Posted by: newc   2011-04-09 04:01  

#3  It only passed because Obama was holding the troops hostage.
Posted by: retired LEO   2011-04-09 02:01  

#2  Indeed, oh my. Wish our president wasn't such a used car salesman.
Posted by: Fi    2011-04-09 01:16  

#1  So IIUC, IOW the Fed is $$$ good = solvent? until next Thursday or shortly afterward???

* ION RUSSIA TODAY > [US] CONGRESS, PRESIDENT [Bammer] WOULD BE PAID DURING US GOVT. SHUTDOWN.

Oh yeah, Amers + Netters/Bloggers are complaining.

Becuz iff there's one thing that US Govtcritters whom had officially raised US Debt to just over 100% of US GDP + climbing - YOU KNOW, "NEAR/APPROACHING INSOLVENCY" - need is another Pay Raise, regular full Paycheck while lessor US Govt.workers don't.

versus

* NEWS KERALA > REAGAN-ERA LAWYER DRAFTS OBAMA IMPEACHMENT OVER LIBYA INTERVENTION. Ex-USDOJ Official Bruce Fein, whom argues that POTUS Bammer has...

> MOCKED the Rule of Law in America???
> ENDANGERED THE VERY EXISTENCE OF THE REPUBLIC
[iff not the Nation]???
> PERPETRATED "HIGH CRIMES + MISDEMEANORS" warranting Impeachment???
> IFF THE BAMMER CAN NULL OR BYPASS "WAR POWERS ACT" AUTHORITY, THEN WHY NOT FOR US CONGRESSIONAL BUDGETING-N-SPENDING???

Oh my.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2011-04-09 01:14  

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