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Latest News: Federal Government Shutdown 2015

shutdown 2015

Federal Shutdown 2015.

Will the government shutdown? Check out our latest update on the federal government shutdown.

Federal Government Shutdown 2015

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Who are the Working Poor?

You may have heard the term “working poor” before, but who are they?

working poorThe working poor are people who work, but live below the poverty line. They are not making  financial progress, despite their willingness to work. On the surface they look like most working individuals: they have a home, possibly own a car, and wear descent attire; however, below the surface they are struggling to afford the basics (e.g., a home, food, clothes, etc.).

Continue reading Who are the Working Poor?

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The Federal Minimum Wage Debate

federal minimum wageThe federal minimum wage is a body of law that prohibits employers from hiring employees for less than the given hour or monthly minimum wage. The first federal minimum wage was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938.

The main purpose of the creation of the federal minimum wage was to keep the American workers out of poverty level and increase the consumer purchasing power that will in turn stimulate the economy of the country. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Continue reading The Federal Minimum Wage Debate

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Federal Government Shutdown 2015

LATEST UPDATE: Congress has approved the spending budget for fiscal year (FY) 2016! 

President Barack Obama will sign the measure.

(Updated December 18, 2015)


UPDATE: Congress has negotiated a spending bill, but will miss the December 16th deadline. Another stop-gap bill will be needed to extend the deadline. The new deadline will be December 22, 2015.

Today, Paul Ryan announced the House of Representatives will vote on the spending bill on Friday, while the Senate will vote shortly thereafter.

We will start a new countdown once the stop-gap has been approved by the President. 

(Updated December 16, 2015)


UPDATE: The House passed the stop-gap and the President has signed it.

A new countdown has been started.


UPDATE:  Congress will not finalize a $1.15 trillion spending bill by midnight on December 11,  2015. On December 10, 2015, the Senate passed a stop-gap bill to extend the deadline to December 16, 2015. Today, the House will vote. The spending bill has been stalled due to “policy riders”.  If no deal by midnight on December 16, 2015 – the government will shutdown. Stay tuned.

(Updated December 11, 2015)


UPDATE: We decided to start a federal government countdown clock for December 11, 2015.

A budget deal has been approved and the debt ceiling has been raised, but will a shutdown happen on December 11, 2015? It could. Congress has a few weeks to appropriate money for the federal government through September 2016.

With a new Speaker of the House of Representatives (Republican, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin) and opposition to hotly-debatted policy riders in the spending bills, anything can happen. Stay tuned.

(Last update  November 6, 2015)
Continue reading Federal Government Shutdown 2015

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