Walter Reed furloughs: Sequestration mainly to blame, notice says

ABC News 7 ^ | 3 Jun 13 | None listed

[SkyPilot]

"Extraordinary and serious budgetary challenges" are being cited as the reason that thousands of employees at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center are being furloughed this summer, according to a letter sent to employees. The letter, which was obtained by Federal News Radio, directly blames budget cuts related to sequestration as the reason that more than 3,500 civilian workers at both Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital will take up to 11 unpaid days off.

"The Department of Defense will need funding in other accounts that can be used to provide the warfighters with what they need to protect national security and fight the war," the letter, dated May 28, reads. "This furlough is proposed to help meet their need while avoiding a deficit of funds in Fiscal Year 2013."

According to the letter, full-time employees will be furloughed for no more than 88 work hours between July 8 and Sept. 29. The number of days which an employee will be furloughed per pay period is yet to be determined and will likely vary.

Hospital officials say that 94 percent of the civilian staff at Walter Reed and 85 percent of the civilian staff at Fort Belvoir are affected by the potential furloughs.

[SkyPilot]

Related news story, with over 700 comments:

Walter Reed hospital workers receive furlough notices

I spoke to a nurse I know who works there. They are still in shock - the people who care for our wounded heroes are taking a 20% pay cut, yet the Senate just passed a "Farm Bill" that costs $955,000,000,000 - and 80% of that is for "free" Food Stamps to be given away to one in seven Americans (one in five households).

So, we have $764 Billion to give away for Food Stamps, but we are stealing the salaries of nurses to wounded warriors to the tune of a 20% pay cut.

How "great" is Sequestration now?

This is an outrage. Neither party cares, especially our narcissistic homosexual in the White House and our alcoholic Speaker.

45% of the civilians in the Dept of Defense are military veterans who wore the uniform of this nation. Hagel's furlough (brought on by Sequestration) targets them heavily. It does not matter if you are a disabled combat veteran or not, you still get furloughed.

A friend of mine is severely disabled from an explosion in combat, and he has a Purple Heart. He got a furlough notice as well.

Yet, Sequestration EXEMPTS Entitlements like Food Stamps, Medicaid, and TANF welfare.

Shame on this nation.

[Diogenesis]

If they were MORE TRUTHFUL, the money is being
diverted to al Qaeda in Egypt, al Qaeda in Libya,
al Qaeda in Indonesia, al Qaeda in Pakistan,
al Qaeda in Egypt, al Qaeda in the USA (DNC),
and AS OF THIS WEEK: al Qaeda in Syria.

All of their mosques are being rebuilt instead
of OUR VETERANS.

[liberalh8ter]

Yet, Sequestration EXEMPTS Entitlements like Food Stamps, Medicaid, and TANF welfare.

It also EXEMPTS President Jackass from spending $100 million on an African vacation.

Shame on this nation these politicians.

The political elites are to blame.

[ronnie raygun]

How about diverted to the obama 100 million dollar vacation club for family and friends.

[SkyPilot]

All of their mosques are being rebuilt instead of OUR VETERANS.

Unfortunately, you are correct Diogenesis.

Thanks for the astute comment. Pray for our nation.

[knarf]

sequestration = obama

So many words to confuse a simple issue.

obama is the enemy of the state and should be hunted down like Bin Ladin

If you never hear from me again .. that statement will be why.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The GOP should jump all over this.

[SkyPilot]

How about diverted to the obama 100 million dollar vacation club for family and friends.

I have seen a letter outlining military sequestration priorities.

DV (Distinguished VIP) airlift to the First Lady and President is totally exempt from Sequester cuts - or at least the direction from above is to ensure that the First Family does not feel any pain or delays in air travel.

The 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB must provide service to Air Force One, Air Force Two, the First Lady, and First Family without any disruptions.

But, we furlough this hero's nurses and hospital care workers.

As I said before, no one cares. This nation shows little outrage for what is happening, and Congress could care less.

Back during the Gingrich-Clinton government shutdowns of 1994-95, every network was throwing a hissy fit because a school bus of minority children showed up for a field trip to the Smithsonian and were denied due to the shutdown. The media acted like it was the Holocaust.

Today, we are furloughing disabled combat veterans with Purple Hearts, stealing their pay checks, and there is not one lick of outrage.

[traditional1]

Yes; but we didn’t touch the funding for Obamaphones......

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SkyPilot. Obama hates the United States of America.

The Obama Tax Hike

to go with

The Obama Recession

[knarf]

Vets should walk into congresscritter’s offices and leave their prosthetics on the desk ... hopefully covered with the smell of piss ...

[BCW]

Talked to a DoD Firefighter last night — furloughs are about to begin...meaning they will have to work overtime to replace the individuals furloughed - and when they are off - those others will have to work over time to cover the shift...makes perfect sense to pay EXTRA in overtime to make a political point!

Can we IMPEACH OBAMA NOW (ION)!!!

[hal ogen]

But nobama and his grifter family can vacay to Africa...shameless losers.

[Venturer]

They are being furloughed while the MF’er in the White House is taking a 100 million dollar trip to Africa.

WTF is going on in this country.

Gee Sus H Key Ryst, why are we putting up with this $hit????

I am outraged as every American should be. This is friggin wrong.

If I expressed myself in words I want to use I would be banned for life.

[george76]

Wasting our tax dollars on the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Syria.

Free tanks, airplanes, cash, and our blood to the Sunni Muslims on their Jihad .

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Billions for Egypt.
$100 million for an Africa vacation (?)
Cut the VA.

Yeah, this makes sense in today’s White House.

[GreyFriar]

now the soldiers will just have to learn how NOT to be sick or injured one day a week. And get up and do everything for themselves. Thus the sequestration is helping them actually helping them to recover faster. (sarcasm) and to be patience patients.

[SkyPilot]

They are being furloughed while the MF’er in the White House is taking a 100 million dollar trip to Africa. WTF is going on in this country. Gee Sus H Key Ryst, why are we putting up with this $hit???? I am outraged as every American should be. This is friggin wrong.

Amen.

The GOP won't do anything to stop this outrage either, because their ranks voted 80% in line for the Budget Control Act of 2011 which gave us Sequestration. It takes 50% of all cuts from the US military (which had already been deeply cut before Sequestration), but it exempts give away Entitlement programs, the real cause of our runaway debt and deficits.

The GOP could still hold a news conference, tell Obama to stop punishing our DoD employees, and stop holding patriotic men and women (again, almost half of them veterans themselves) hostage to this political pornography.

But........nothing happens.

[RginTN]

And Senate gang of 8 are rushing to help illegal immigrants, Boehner rushing to help illegal immigrants and give millions to wealthy “farmers”!

[Logical me]

Communists leader King Obama will continue pressing this lie with hope it catches a few more uninformed ignorant Americans. And we have tons of them.