Tag Archives: US Shut Down

US Shut Down ends temporarily

17 Thursday Oct 2013

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AFP

Washington, Oct 17 : US President Barack Obama early this morning signed a bill into law to end a disruptive 16-day government shutdown and increase the current debt ceiling of USD 16.7 trillion to prevent the country from a debt default with potentially worldwide economic repercussions.
Obama signed into law, the “Continuing Appropriations
Act, 2014,” which provides fiscal year 2014 appropriations for projects and activities of the Federal Government through
Wednesday, January 15, 2014, White House Press Secretary Jay
Carney said in a statement in the wee hours today.

“The effective time for the continuing resolution begins on October 1, 2013,” Carney said, adding that the law also extends the Nation’s debt limit through February 7, 2014.

The signing of the bill came just in time to prevent an
imminent default as the US would have exhausted its borrowing
power by the end of today.

“This is good news for developing countries and the world’s poor. The global economy dodged a potential
catastrophe,” said World Bank President Jim Young Kim,
reflecting the sigh of relief that the international community now has after the passage of the bill by the Congress.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said looking
forward, it will be essential to reduce uncertainty
surrounding the conduct of fiscal policy by raising the debt
limit in a more durable manner.

Soon after Obama signed the legislation, the White House
Office of Management of Budget issued a notice to federal
agencies asking the furloughed employees to resume their
duties today.

“Today, the President signed a continuing resolution that
brings employees back to work and reopens many government
functions. All employees who were on furlough due to the
absence of appropriations may now return to work,” Sylvia M
Burwell, OMB Director, said in a memorandum.

Earlier, the Senate passed the legislation by 81-18
votes, while in the House of Representatives it was passed by
285-144 votes to end the government shutdown.

This means that the Democrats and the Republicans have a
few months time to come out with a lasting solution to their
sharp differences over budget issues, or else the country
could very well plunge into another political and economic
crisis as seen over three weeks.

Before the Senate and the House were to pass the legislation in quick succession, Obama had said he is willing to work with anybody to overcome this crisis.

US – Is it moving towards permanent government shut down?

13 Sunday Oct 2013

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Even after 12 days of the government shut down in US, no settlement could be reached between the Obama led Democrats and the opposition Republicans, creating a situation in which the people are the casualties. If the issues are not settled, according to President Obama, there may be an economic shut down.
What has happened to the great leader of the capitalist system? No way to come out of the shut down?

US shutdown denies death benefits to families of four dead soldiers

09 Wednesday Oct 2013

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The Govt. Shut Down is adversely affecting every thing in US. Even the families of the dead soldiers are denied the death benefits. What is happening in US. the leader of the capitalism? I am giving below a report from NDTV:

Washington: The families of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan last weekend will not receive death benefits or the money to pay for their funerals because of the government shutdown.

The bodies of Sergeant Patrick C Hawkins, 25; Pfc. Cody J. Patterson, 24; Sergeant Joseph M. Peters, 24; and First Lieutenant Jennifer M Moreno, 25, will arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday. The four soldiers were killed Sunday in the Zhari district of Kandahar province when enemy forces attacked their unit with explosives.

But if their families want to meet the plane, they will have to pay their own way to Delaware.

Under the shutdown, Carl Woog, a Defense Department spokesman, said Tuesday, “the Department of Defense does not currently have the authority to pay death gratuities and other key benefits for the survivors of service members killed in action.”

The benefits include $100,000 to each family; a 12-month basic allowance for housing, usually given in a lump sum to survivors commensurate with the rank of the service member; and burial benefits. The benefits are also being withheld from the family of Lance Cpl. Jeremiah Collins Jr, 19, of the Marines, whose death on Saturday in Helmand province is being investigated by the Pentagon. New hardships caused by the shutdown seem to emerge every day as the standoff between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans entered its second week. But the denial of benefits to the families of fallen soldiers – however temporary – led to an unusual burst of outrage. (Courtsey : NDTV)