US government heads back to work

BBC NEWS reported that,

US government heads back to work

October 17, 2013 13:59

Katy Watson reports

Hundreds of thousands of US government employees are heading back to work after President Barack Obama signed a law ending a 16-day government shutdown and extending the US debt limit. The cross-party deal came hours before the US government risked running out of money to pay its bills. China welcomed the deal, and the head of the International Monetary Fund called it "important and necessary". It followed 16 days of partial government shutdown. The shutdown began when Congress failed to agree on a budget by 1 October. Congress voted through the deal less than a day before a deadline to raise the $16.7tn (£10.5tn) debt limit. The measure approved in Washington funds the government to 15 January, and extends the Treasury's borrowing authority until 7 February. The deal, however, offers only a temporary solution and does not resolve the budgetary issues that fiercely divide Republicans and Democrats. Instead, it establishes a cross-party committee of legislators tasked with crafting a long-term budget deal over the coming months. A faction of Republicans in the hardline Tea Party movement had pushed for the confrontation as a way to gut Mr Obama's healthcare reform. However, Mr Obama and the Democrats refused to negotiate, and the law commonly known as Obamacare has escaped relatively unscathed. 'Must reduce uncertainty' Politicians, bankers and economists had warned of global economic calamity unless an agreement to raise the US government's borrowing limit was reached. But IMF head Christine Lagarde's positive response to the news was tempered by a call for further action. "It will be essential to reduce uncertainty surrounding the conduct of fiscal policy by raising the debt limit in a more durable manner," she said in a statement. Economists have estimated the shutdown cost the US economy billions of dollars. The shutdown affected Americans and visitors to the US in countless ways: most national parks were closed, medical research ground to a halt, and ordinary paperwork went unfinished, delaying visa applications, business permits and safety inspections. Hundreds of thousands of employees were put on leave without pay during the shutdown, with many forced to delay purchases or even payment of routine bills. A few days into the shutdown Congress passed a law ensuring they would receive back pay. Before dawn on Thursday, the US Office of Personnel Management, which manages the federal workforce, announced in a terse statement on its website that government workers should return to work as regularly scheduled. A senior manager at the Department of the Interior, which oversees the national parks system and other public land, reminded employees to disable "out of office" email messages, change voicemail prompts, and "check on any refrigerators and throw out any perished food". "We appreciate your sacrifices through these difficult times and we understand that the lapse in government activities has imposed hardships on you, your families, and the people we serve," Rhea Suh, assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, wrote. Federal workers returning to the downtown Washington DC office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were greeted by Vice-President Joe Biden and a welcome note from their boss, agency head Gina McCarthy. "I know the past couple of weeks have been difficult, especially for families," Ms McCarthy wrote. "Let me be one of the first to welcome you back to EPA and tell you that we have certainly missed you!" A security officer at the building said the shutdown had been "depressing" and had made her realise how much she enjoyed her job. "I enjoy checking in 500 people every day," said Ettereteen Welch. 'Missed opportunity' Speaking after the Senate had passed the bill on Wednesday evening, President Obama warned that US lawmakers must "earn back the trust of the American people". "We've got to get out of the habit of governing by crisis," the Democratic president said. Spurred on by hardline conservatives, congressional Republicans forced the stand-off by linking budget measures to healthcare reform. Despite reluctant support from the House Republican leadership for the bill approved on Wednesday, most of the party's lawmakers in the House voted against it. Among those who opposed it was chairman of the House Budget Committee Paul Ryan, who called the deal a "missed opportunity". "Today's legislation won't help us reduce our fast-growing debt," he said. "In my judgement, this isn't a breakthrough. We're just kicking the can down the road." Republican Senator John McCain told the BBC he was "very relieved" that the political crisis had ended. "I'm guardedly optimistic and confident that we won't revisit it this way again," he said. "The reaction of the American people is very, very negative, and understandably so."

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US government heads back to work http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24563189