"If four federal agencies closed their doors, would anyone notice?"

"This is no philosophical experiment Friday when, thanks to sequestration, the IRS, EPA, HUD and OMB turn a normal workday into an unpaid holiday for nearly all of their employees.

In all, about 115,000 people -- roughly 5 percent of the federal workforce -- won’t be on the clock for the day. Staffers for the Labor and Interior departments will also get an extra unpaid day for their Memorial Day weekend.

It’s an important moment for Congress and the Obama administration as they continue to battle over mandatory budget cuts, that Democrats continue to warn will mean real consequences while most Republicans claim Democrats are just crying wolf."

Darren Samuelsohn reports for Politico May 23, 2013. [2]