Trump Just Made Christmas Better for Thousands of Americans

With the stroke of a pen, Christmas got longer for federal employees thanks to an executive order by the president, excusing them from working Christmas Eve. (The Daily Caller)
 

Christmas Eve falls on a Monday in 2018, so federal workers will get a four-day weekend to celebrate the holiday as the possibility of a government shutdown looms, reported WTOP. Giving federal workers a reprieve when Christmas Day falls on a Tuesday is the norm, according to WTOP.

Trump’s executive order also ensures that agency and department heads still have authority to determine if any employees need to work on Christmas Eve “for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.”

The federal government employs more than 2 million people full time excluding U.S. Postal Service employees, according to Governing.com. Roughly 80 percent of them work outside of the Washington, D.C., region.

Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush granted federal employees four-day weekends in 2012, 2007 and 2001, according to WTOP.

Meanwhile, Congress continues to work feverishly to avoid a partial government shutdown.