Free Republic

All eyes are on Capitol Hill, watching as Congress gets closer and closer to failing to fund the federal government, forcing a shutdown. Shutting down the government could have big reverberations across the country — and significant consequences for the people who live and work and visit the nation's capital. Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia combined have about 400,000 federal workers, plus hundreds of thousands of military service members and government contractors. The region's growth and competitiveness have long been tied to the federal government.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL– A video uploaded to YouTube on Sunday shows Fort Lauderdale police officer Victor Ramirez harassing and assaulting an elderly gentleman at the Broward Bus Terminal in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The man is not being aggressive or threatening in any way when he is shoved to the ground and slapped by the officer. The man was reportedly trying to use the bus terminal’s restroom. “The guy didn’t raise his hand to the officer at all,” a witness told Local 10 News. “The officer just knocked him down with his hands. The guy was defenseless.”

Harry Reid: Furlough back pay is ‘paid vacation’ By: Burgess Everett October 5, 2013 12:44 PM EDT By passing a bill providing federal workers back pay while the government is closed, House Republicans are giving them a “paid vacation,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Saturday afternoon. Just a few minutes after the House passed its retroactive pay legislation for federal workers, Reid said the legislation is “uncontroversial” but said it is “cruel” to tell those employees they will get paid when the government reopens while at the same time refusing to open government.

Rep. Alan Grayson was standing in the middle of Disney World when it hit him: What Americans really need is a week of paid vacation. So on Thursday, the Florida Democrat will introduce the Paid Vacation Act — legislation that would be the first to make paid vacation time a requirement under federal law. The bill would require companies with more than 100 employees to offer a week of paid vacation for both full-time and part-time employees after they’ve put in a year on the job. Three years after the effective date of the law, those same companies would be...

Forty-eight percent (48%) of U.S. voters favor a federal law requiring companies to provide paid vacation for all full-time and part-time employees, but most don’t think it would be good for the economy. Thirty-eight percent (38%) oppose a law mandating paid vacation, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. A Florida Democratic congressman is planning to introduce such a law in the House this week. Fifty-two percent (52%) of all voters believe most companies already provide paid vacations for full-time employees. Twenty-four percent (24%) do not think that is true, and another 24% are not sure. More than...