Republicans in the Maine House of Representatives dealt a blow Thursday to one of the first signature early pieces of legislation introduced by Democrats after the party made significant gains in the November 2018 election. Read More
Key lawmakers expressed guarded optimism late Monday that they would be able to avoid another government shutdown. Read More
Research by management experts shows that the threat of imminent uncertainty at work – such as a furlough, a layoff or other stressful workplace event – can be just as fraught to workers as the event itself. Read More
A legislative committee delayed action Thursday on an emergency bill to provide financial relief to furloughed federal workers or those working without pay during future federal government shutdowns. Read More
If Congress no longer had to pass annual funding bills to keep the government running, what would the long-term policy consequences be? Read More
Vice President Mike Pence defended President Donald Trump’s tactic of shutting down the federal government in a bid to gain leverage for border wall funding and said he could not guarantee that another closure will be averted next week. Read More
They are behind schedule in hiring more than 100 seasonal employees — a process that typically takes 90 days. Read More
This is not a new or unrecognized problem. Members of Congress have been warning about the overuse of continuing resolutions — and the resulting potential for shutdown — for some time. Read More
The last election wasn’t a good one for independent candidates. Read More
Terry Alexander has fished for 40 of his 57 years, catching groundfish in the winter and squid during the summer months, off New York and Rhode Island. Read More
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' recent comment about furloughed government employees — that he didn't "really quite understand" why unpaid workers were visiting food banks — confirmed Fitzgerald's point. The very wealthy are different — and they think differently. Read More
Even fishing boats haven't been able to fish because they could not get permits, a NOAA official said. Read More
Unlike the 800,000 career public servants who are slated to receive full back pay over the next week or so, the contractors who clean, guard, cook and shoulder other jobs at federal workplaces aren’t legally guaranteed a single penny. Read More
Even after that pay comes through, it won't immediately end the pain the shutdown has caused federal workers. Read More
The CBO says the five-week shutdown has slowed growth in the near term but that most of the lost growth "will eventually be recovered." Read More
Mulvaney declined Sunday to say whether Trump would accept less than the $5.7 billion in funding he has demanded for the wall. Read More
Maine's senior senator said the best agreement would strengthen border security and provide funding for the government through the end of the fiscal year. Read More
It's a reminder that should Trump choose a shutdown again, as he threatened Friday, he is likely to have some supporters cheering him on. Read More
