800,000 Federal Workers Could Be Furloughed If Debt Ceiling Not Raised
Thursday, June 30, 2011
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Eight hundred thousand federal workers could end up furloughed if Congress fails
to move forward on an increase of the debt ceiling. That's according to a study
conducted by George H.W. Bush former Treasury undersecretary Jay Powell who
crunched the numbers with assistance from Bill Clinton's former budget director
Alice Rivlin and retired Senate Budget Committee Chairman Republican Pete
Domenici. "This is the height of irresponsibility," said AFSCME Council 26
Executive Director Carl Goldman."Furloughing or not paying nearly a million
federal workers would affect millions of Americans and send the economy reeling.
It would also have a devastating impact on metro Washington workers and
residents, whether they work for the government or not." Council 26 represents
approximately 7,000 metro-area federal workers. The study, released Tuesday,
reveals the U.S. government would be unable to fund 50 percent of its
obligations. The federal government would need to implement an immediate cut of
44 percent in federal spending. Impacted departments include Veterans Affairs,
Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation and Education. Military pay
would also likely be on the chopping block. Powell told reporters that the end
result would be "chaotic." There is a solution, Goldman suggested. "Close
corporate tax loopholes and tax the rich."
- includes reporting by Jesse Russell, Workers Independent
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