# Uncle Sam is now officially closed for business. But for how long? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 1, 2013, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083 "2013-10-01T12:52:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/21 "2013-10-01T17:48:32Z")
WIC program… > [@](#): > > WIC provides: > > • Supplemental foods high in nutrients during time of critical growth and development. > • Nutrition education designed to improve dietary habits and health status and to emphasize the relationship between nutrition and health. > • Information, support and encouragement for breastfeeding. > • Referrals for other health services. > Pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children under age 5 may qualify if they live in Arkansas, have a nutritional need and have an income at or below WIC guidelines or receive Medicaid, ARKids, TEA or SNAP (Food Stamps). ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/22 "2013-10-01T18:57:36Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve been through this in 1996. It wasn’t a big deal It was a big deal then for some people. We had a co-worker stuck overseas because he couldn’t renew his visa. This was a significant issue for our business because he was one of our key engineers. So it may not affect most people, but those it affects, it affects BADLY. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/23 "2013-10-01T19:00:50Z")
… Wait, who in the bloody fluff thought that Congressmen were to be paid through this!? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/24 "2013-10-01T20:58:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I don’t believe this is true. Social Security and veteran’s retirement pay go out in spite of the shutdown: > > [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-government-shutdown-will-work/](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-government-shutdown-will-work/) Double score for me. If anyone has shown themselves to be non-essential, it’s the knuckleheads in Congress. Yet they continue to draw their pay. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/25 "2013-10-01T21:00:58Z")
> [@Waxwinged](#): > > … Wait, who in the bloody fluff thought that Congressmen were to be paid through this!? I think there is something in the constitution that their pay cannot be lowered during their term of office. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/26 "2013-10-01T21:04:36Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I think there is something in the constitution that their pay cannot be lowered during their term of office. 27th Amendment, Congress can’t change their own pay. They can only effect the compensation of future Congresses. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/27 "2013-10-01T21:19:54Z")
The company I work for has several different busineses. I work for a side that does commercial work, so I’m fine, but there’s another department that does a lot of work for the federal government. That department is being hit hard. Because of the sequester and now this, there have already been a bunch of people laid off. These were private sector workers. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/28 "2013-10-01T21:50:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Politicians are spineless in reacting to public pressure. That’s not true. Look how the public supported a “public option” for health care, and the Democrats went against their own base because they are so bought-and-paid-for by the insurance industry. Politicians vote according to who hands them money, not according to what the public wants. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/29 "2013-10-01T21:58:10Z")
Congress is paid salary, and they can’t impact their own salaries, either up or down. So yes, congresspeople will continue to be paid through this mess. I am reminded again to be grateful that our library system reserves federal monies for acquisitions, leaving staff salaries and building maintenance to state and local sources. We didn’t have to set it up that way, and other systems chose differently, but this means that at least I and all my coworkers get to keep going to work and getting paid for it. If it lasts long enough, our collections will suffer, but that’s much less of a hardship than people being out of work. Wish that everyone else was as well off. Terrible situation. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/30 "2013-10-01T22:24:09Z")
[Here](http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/10/kkk_rally_is_among_events_canc.html) is an unanticipated silver lining - or - a missed opportunity to overcome years of hatred… The Klan will be unable to hold their rally at Gettysburg. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/31 "2013-10-01T22:48:01Z")
I work for a federal contractor. We’re all scrambling to figure out what we can keep working on and where we need to stop work for the time being. We can shuffle stuff around for a while, but if this really drags out people will lose pay, and eventually jobs. I have lots of friends and neighbors who are federal employees. The hit to the paychecks sucks, but the uncertainty is also a problem. Should they cut back on non-essentials immediately, or operate on the assumption that they’ll be back to work soon? When do you take your kid out of childcare? There’s a trickle down effect, too, for those who aren’t federal employees or contractors. I go out for dinner regularly with a group of friends. We aren’t going this Friday because so many of us are tightening our metaphorical belts immediately. The restaurant loses out on our business, as do all of our babysitters. Bottom line: virtually everyone in the DC area is pissed off about this, and you know what? We’re real people, too. However, what really drives me crazy is the absurd amount of resources that have been given over to creating and implementing contingency plans for shut-downs, both hypothetical and actual. This is not a good use of our tax dollars, and it prevents real work from getting done. \*That \*should make everyone in the US angry. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/32 "2013-10-01T22:53:04Z")
[Three of our reps](http://www.king5.com/news/local/Some-members-of-Wash-delegation-to-forego-pay-226006111.html) from Washington state are giving their mandated salaries back. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/33 "2013-10-01T23:13:47Z")
> [@BetsQ](#): > > I work for a federal contractor. We’re all scrambling to figure out what we can keep working on and where we need to stop work for the time being. We can shuffle stuff around for a while, but if this really drags out people will lose pay, and eventually jobs. > > I have lots of friends and neighbors who are federal employees. The hit to the paychecks sucks, but the uncertainty is also a problem. Should they cut back on non-essentials immediately, or operate on the assumption that they’ll be back to work soon? When do you take your kid out of childcare? > > There’s a trickle down effect, too, for those who aren’t federal employees or contractors. I go out for dinner regularly with a group of friends. We aren’t going this Friday because so many of us are tightening our metaphorical belts immediately. The restaurant loses out on our business, as do all of our babysitters. > > Bottom line: virtually everyone in the DC area is pissed off about this, and you know what? We’re real people, too. > > However, what really drives me crazy is the absurd amount of resources that have been given over to creating and implementing contingency plans for shut-downs, both hypothetical and actual. This is not a good use of our tax dollars, and it prevents real work from getting done. \*That \*should make everyone in the US angry. I get so angry when I see comments from people, even from some Dopers who I will not name here, who say that the shutdown doesn’t really affect anybody. It affects a LOT of people, very negatively. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/34 "2013-10-01T23:34:35Z")
Let’s get back to the OP’s question: How long? I am quite undecided about this; I think either very quickly or quite a while (over a month). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/35 "2013-10-01T23:41:10Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Let’s get back to the OP’s question: How long? I am quite undecided about this; I think either very quickly or quite a while (over a month). The U.S. is supposed to hit the debt ceiling around the 17th, so if this lasts a month things are going to get _really_ ugly. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/36 "2013-10-01T23:44:15Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The U.S. is supposed to hit the debt ceiling around the 17th, so if this lasts a month things are going to get _really_ ugly. Saw a quote from Paul Ryan earlier indicating that this is exactly what he would like to see happen. It remains to be seen how long the Tantrum Contingent of the Republican party is going to continue getting what it wants, though. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/37 "2013-10-01T23:48:14Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Well, a bunch of Federal workers are home watching tv today. “Bunch”? You do realize that the [Department of Defense alone](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/the-department-of-defense-employs-1-percent-of-americans/2011/09/12/gIQAU6dTNK_blog.html) employs more people than [the top three private employers combined](http://www.statisticbrain.com/u-s-largest-employers/)? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/38 "2013-10-01T23:50:24Z")
> [@BetsQ](#): > > However, what really drives me crazy is the absurd amount of resources that have been given over to creating and implementing contingency plans for shut-downs, both hypothetical and actual. This is not a good use of our tax dollars, and it prevents real work from getting done. \*That \*should make everyone in the US angry. Indeed. I got paid for 4 hours today to show up, be handed my official furlough notice, sign another sheet of paper acknowledging receipt of said notice, then immediately sent home. I could have actually gotten something done in those 4 hours… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/39 "2013-10-01T23:51:13Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Saw a quote from Paul Ryan earlier indicating that this is exactly what he would like to see happen. Remember when people were trying to sell him as a policy wonk? That was a fun five minutes. > [@](#): > > It remains to be seen how long the Tantrum Contingent of the Republican party is going to continue getting what it wants, though. There are a couple of ways it can play out. The Republicans and Democrats could get together and tell these guys to take a hike, for example. Or it’s possible they will try everything they can try, fail, and then go along with a regular continuing resolution. Their demands keep going down and down and I think it’s possible that’s what Boehner wants to do: show them they have no leverage and can’t get what they want, so they might as well support something that will actually pass and stop damaging themselves. The problem is that this depends on them seeing reason and believing that that’s what will happen. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083/40 "2013-10-01T23:51:32Z")
I’m another Federal employee that is now not working due to the government shutdown. I work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and am heavily involved in biomedical research efforts. Nearly the entirety of NIH is currently closed, including the offices that handle the grants and contracts to universities and businesses. Due to sequestration, the biomedical scientific research community in this country has already really been hurting, with funding pay lines near historic lows, but if this shutdown last more than a few days, it will be a disaster. Every day we are out of work, people are literally dying as a result. The past few years have been an absolute nightmare for federal civil servants, and this is the worst slap in the face yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-sam-is-now-officially-closed-for-business-but-for-how-long/670083.md?page=3)