"This website will not be actively managed" during the partial shutdown, reads a banner atop the home page of the United States Coast Guard. Public domain.
Blustery, with a chance of national emergency
by Tom Sullivan
"This website will not be actively managed" during the partial shutdown, reads a banner atop the home page of the United States Coast Guard. Public domain.
It will be partly cloudy, brisk and blustery in the nation's capitol on Thursday, with a gale warning in effect until 6 p.m. from the Key Bridge to Indian Head, MD. Plus, a continued chance of national emergency.
A small craft advisory is in effect, too. That might keep members of the U.S. Coast Guard busy rescuing boaters while their civilian employees are home trying to survive President Trump's partial government shutdown by walking dogs, babysitting, or holding garage sales. The agency provided a five-page tip sheet to employees furloughed by the Trump shutdown.
The Washington Post reports:
The tip sheet, titled “Managing your finances during a furlough,” applies to the Coast Guard’s 8,500-person civilian workforce. About 6,400 of them are on indefinite furlough, while 2,100 are working without pay after being identified as essential workers, said Lt. Cmdr. Scott McBride, a service spokesman. They were last paid for the two-week period ended Dec. 22.
“While it may be uncomfortable to deal with the hard facts, it’s best to avoid the 'hide your head in the sand’ reaction,” the tip sheet said. “Stay in charge of the situation by getting a clear understanding of what’s happening.”
The Coast Guard removed the tip sheet from the support program’s website late Wednesday morning after The Washington Post inquired about it.
The sitting president has so far avoided declaring his shutdown a national emergency, or rather, his self-manufactured crisis on the southern border. Still, Trump threatens to, reports CBS:
He said last week that "I can do it if I want." So far, he has not. "I think we might work a deal," he reasoned Wednesday. But Mr. Trump went on to threaten, "And if we don't, I may go that route. I have the absolute right to do national emergency if I want."Trump still believes by declaring a national emergency he can get his border wall without congressional approval. He believes it will give him the authority to divert money budgeted for national defense to law enforcement, a move even the wall-favoring National Review calls "a lawless abuse of power." In effect, the former CEO of the Trump Organization believes he can treat the Pentagon budget like his personal slush fund. His last slush fund was dissolved by the state of New York in December.
After storming out of a contentious meeting at the White House with congressional leaders Wednesday, though, Mr. Trump might have a change of heart.
TONIGHT: Trump gives the unscripted version of his scripted primetime address! #LSSC pic.twitter.com/UJ7ZZLFkkc
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) January 10, 2019