The federal government will shut down tonight if Congress cannot agree on a continuing resolution to fund the government.
The last time there was a shutdown almost all Social Security employees were told to keep working. The major exceptions were employees of the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (now Office of Hearings Operations -- OHO) other than the Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) and most of the Office of General Counsel (OGC). Even without passage of a funding bill almost all the ODAR employees were eventually recalled last time. The OGC employees were recalled just before passage of a continuing resolution. Social Security asked the state Disability Determination Services (DDS) to stay open and they did for a time but some started closing down as the shutdown continued.
If you're a Social Security employee, please let me know what you're hearing. My guess is that most of you have no idea whether you're supposed to show up for work Monday and may not find out until Monday morning.
By the way, I don't care what your politics are, a shutdown is completely nuts, almost incomprehensible.
If you're a Social Security employee, please let me know what you're hearing. My guess is that most of you have no idea whether you're supposed to show up for work Monday and may not find out until Monday morning.
By the way, I don't care what your politics are, a shutdown is completely nuts, almost incomprehensible.
13 comments:
No communications yet from Baltimore to those of us in the field offices. It's been silence at every deadline so far this year. Either they don't believe it will be shut down or they just plan on instituting the shut down procedures from 2013. Prior to the shut down in 2013 we would have almost daily conference calls for the 3 or 4 days leading up to the deadline.
There's an updated shutdown contingency plan from December 17: https://www.ssa.gov/agency/shutdown/materials/contingency-plan.pdf
Who knows? Several funding gaps in the past there were no furloughs. Reagan's AG insisted they had to happen and the President ignored that some times followed it some times.
President Trump has signaled he will ignore that opinion in relation to the National Parks so really, who knows?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing communicated to staff so far. And I'm someone who would definitely be furloughed in a shutdown.
Can we call this something other than a "government shutdown" as very little actually gets shut down. Can we call if a Congressional Failure, the DACA Delay, Immigration Impediment, shutdown, at midnight on Friday because so much is open on Saturday. So may threats of this every time there is something to be done that it becomes like the fee talk on the blog, blah blah blah.
Hey! How about the "I will sign anything you guys bring to me" shutdown, or the "S-hole" shutdown. Depending on what day it is of course. CNN is reporting the president will disappoint his $100,000 per plate fat cat friends and not attend the gala at Mar-a-lago if shutdown occurs. Not sure if that is a good or bad sign.
From: ^Commissioner Broadcast
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2018 10:37 AM
Subject: Planning for Potential Lapse in Funding
A Message to All SSA Employees
Subject: Planning for Potential Lapse in Funding
As many of you are aware, annual funding for the government expires on January 19. The Executive Branch does not believe it is necessary for a lapse in funding to occur, and looks forward to working with the Congress to finalize appropriations for this year.
However, prudent management requires that we be prepared for all contingencies, including the possibility that a lapse could occur. A lapse would mean that a number of government activities would cease due to a lack of appropriated funding, and that a number of employees would be temporarily furloughed. To prepare for this possibility, we are working to update our contingency plans for executing an orderly shutdown of activities that would be affected by a lapse in appropriations.
Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and patience through this process, and for all that you do for the Social Security Administration and the American people.
Nancy A. Berryhill
Acting Commissioner
Will this Shut Down if it happens affect my SSI-DISABILITY Direct Deposit for FEBRUARY 1,2018?
All SSI and SSA checks will be mailed/direct deposited whether there is a shutdown or not.
OHO...nearly all employees are "excepted" and should report to work if there is a shutdown. Except for a small number of administrative aides, IT, etc. Business as usual, shutdown or not.
Yours would come.
Whew!
Things are inside out, as the Travelling Wilburys sang. Ugh.
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