During the current shutdown here has been a good deal of misinformed and smart aleck commentary about "non-essential" government employees being furloughed. The ever-simpleminded and obnoxious Brian Fishcher, surly whining talk show host on American Family Radio, suggested that since we have so many "non-essential" government employees, it would make sense to simply fire them for good. Fischer, as usual, was talking through his tin hat. For those who want to know how an "essential" employee is defined for purposes of a shutdown, the information below should be helpful. The list identifies the kinds of government services that are essential in the sense of "absolutely necessary to keep America running..": It follows that employees necessary to administer these services are "essential" as well.
Ignore Fischer, as a general rule, since he is a blithering wingnut ideologue
<<<Our government does a lot of things, which is why the prospect of a shutdown to begin later this week can be so daunting and confusing. Basically, during a shutdown, federal agencies must freeze all non-essential services. How does each organization decide what's essential? And what does that word even mean to a government that rarely agrees on what's important?
A shutdown would be bad; hopefully, the budget battle doesn't come to that. Best to be prepared, so here's a rundown of how our government makes these difficult choices.
What's essential
In the event of a shutdown, every government agency is responsible for determining which jobs under their umbrella fit the following criteria for what's absolutely necessary to keep America running:
- Providing for the national security, including the conduct of foreign relations essential to the national security or the safety of life and property.
- Benefit payments and the performance of certain contract obligations
- Medical care of inpatients and emergency outpatient care
- Conducting activities to ensure continued public health and safety, including safe use of food, drugs and hazardous materials
- Air traffic control and other transportation safety functions
- Border and coastal protection and surveillance
- Protection of federal lands, buildings, waterways, equipment and other property owned by the United States
- Care of prisoners and other persons in the custody of the United States
- Law enforcement and criminal investigations
- Emergency and disaster assistance
- Activities that ensure production of power and maintenance of the power distribution system
- Activities essential to the preservation of the essential elements of the money and banking system of the United States, including borrowing and
tax collection activities of the Treasury - Activities necessary to maintain protection of research property.>>>
