Quote Originally Posted by clodhopper View Post
.gov shutdown is the only shutdown that costs more than continuing to operate normally. As always, they will retro back everyone's missing pay, plus pay additional contractors to close down/reopen facilities and pay contractors any delay costs/fees due to delays in direction or payment. Even at full shutdown, something like 80% of the government is deemed essential and still show up for work.
That was true when Clinton and Obama were president but they intentionally made the shutdowns as harmful and chaotic to the public as possible in order to win political points. I suspect Trump and Congress will provide back pay for the furloughed workers but that Trump's OPM will declare dramatically fewer "essential" workers and that the shutdown will be done in a way to minimize rather than maximize impact on the general citizenry.