My partner, a federal worker, is locked out of his job because the Tea Party Caucus wants more spending cuts. By stranding 800,000 federal employees without pay, the billionaire-backed fraction of Congress’ extreme right wing is sending a clear message: they are not accountable to any working Americans, and they are coming for all of our jobs.

Bipartisan legislation to provide retroactive pay for the more than 800,000 federal workers furloughed because of the irresponsible House Republican government shutdown was introduced Tuesday in the House and Senate. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), chief sponsor of the House bill (H.R. 3223), said:

Nearly a million federal workers could lose their pay because Congress failed to do its job and keep the government up and running....Our civil servants have weathered furloughs, frozen pay and diminished benefits. Now they may go without their pay altogether because of this reckless Tea Party-led government shutdown.

If you are in the Washington, D.C., area Thursday, come join hands with members of the Alliance for Retired Americans and the Congressional Progressive Caucus in a Human Chain Against "Chained" CPI on Capitol Hill.  

The action kicks off at 10 a.m. EDT on the House Triangle of the U.S. Capitol. Click here for a map and to RSVP.

While the House GOP-engineered government shutdown will have devastating effects on our nation's veterans, women with children and federal workers furloughed without pay, America's working families visiting the U.S. capital were locked out of the national parks and monuments paid for by their hard-earned tax dollars. 

As day one of the government shutdown continues, many people are left wondering what happened? If the leaders of both parties said they didn't want the government to shut down and President Barack Obama, along with congressional Democrats, were poised to negotiate in good faith and make reasonable compromises, how did we get where we are?

Are you a bit lost in what's going on with the House Republican shutdown of the federal government? Don't know if the federal government offices that you need are open or closed? AFSCME is on the job to provide you with up-to-date information about the status of the federal government at GOPshutdownlive.com.

AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. today issued the following statement on the House Republican-forced government shutdown:

The moment we have been dreading has arrived. The House of Representatives has shut down the federal government, locking out 800,000 federal employees who want to go to work to support the American people.

A looming federal government shutdown is slated to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka released the following statement on the House Republicans' hostage taking:

As of today, it is clear that the Republican Party and the Tea Party have become one and the same when it comes to federal fiscal policy. House Republicans have decided that they will shut down critical public services, stiff public servants, hold America’s credit rating hostage and kill off jobs because they are upset that President Obama decisively defeated Mitt Romney last November. That some Republicans are participating in this fiasco against their better judgment does not obscure their responsibility. All responsible voices must speak and act against policy making by hostage taking.

House Republicans are proceeding with plans that would force a government shutdown, despite the fact that America's working families overwhelmingly disapprove of their tactics.  In a CBS/New York Times poll last week, 80% of respondents said that it would be unacceptable for lawmakers to threaten a shutdown to achieve their goals, yet that's exactly what Republicans are doing.

The AFGE local union that represents 2,100 federal workers at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)—the federal agency that enforces the Civil Rights Act and the other laws barring workplace discrimination—has urged Congress to avoid a government shutdown.