Republican leaders are preparing the House for a government shutdown, as they plan to distribute a pamphlet about the mechanics of a partial congressional work-stoppage to all lawmakers’ offices Tuesday morning, according to several senior House aides.
It’s the strongest signal yet that House Speaker John Boehner believes the White House and Congress could fail to strike a deal on a long-term funding bill before the government’s authority to spend money runs out on Friday. Talks came to a standstill Monday, amid amplified partisan recriminations.
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With that as a backdrop, House Administration Committee Chairman Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) has been tasked with compiling and distributing the pamphlet. It is designed to give guidance on which employees are considered essential and which are not allowed to work during a shutdown, advise congressional staff about the status of their benefits during a shutdown and outline which House services will continue to operate.
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Under the plan, “essential” staffers — those whose work must be done to keep Congress operating — would continue to work, while others would be furloughed and prohibited from working or talking to “essential” staff with government-issued BlackBerrys and cell phones, according to one source who had been apprised of the guidelines. The distinction is up to each member’s discretion, and “essential” and “non-essential” employees could be rotated if a shutdown lingers.
Health coverage would continue for for up to a year, and some employees may be eligible for unemployment benefits. But staffers enrolled in the student loan repayment program would lose that benefit during a shutdown.
The staff gym and Capitol Visitor Center would be closed, the source said.
http://dyn.politico.com/members/forums/thread.cfm?catid=1&subcatid=1&threadid=5292432
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