U.S. administration initiates plans for a partial shutdown, clocking one week until the cutoff – despite securing an accord
On a Sunday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, shared a strategy with his fellow Republicans in a letter, planning to vote this week to prevent a shutdown. Democratic leaders commended the bipartisan discussions and seemed supportive of this plan, unless any sudden alterations occurred.
With a week left before the deadline, the typical procedures to halt non-essential government functions will be initiated across all federal departments and agencies, as per an administration source informed to CNN.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), from the White House, would communicate with senior officials from agencies to remind them of their duties to prepare orderly shutdown plans, and share a draft notification template to inform employees about the appropriations status. This communication will be distributed on Monday, six days before a potential shutdown.
Each department and agency has their unique plans and procedures in place. These include details about the number of employees who might be furloughed, essential employees who'd work without payment, the duration it'd take to wind down operations, and the activities that would halt before a shutdown.
Previous shutdowns have resulted in the closure of certain national park and monument facilities, potential threats to nutrition assistance for low-income individuals, and flight delays.
With Johnson's letter, there seems to be an agreement for a temporary funding bill, named a continuing resolution, without a unanimous consent in the Senate. Consequently, lawmakers may stretch the process till October 1st's midnight, should they fail to pass a funding bill.
In case of a lack of a funding bill, millions of federal workers and military personnel would be affected by a shutdown.
Based on a review of agencies' recent contingency plans, roughly 872,000 federal employees could be laid off, as stated by Rachel Snyderman, Managing Director for Economic Policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Additionally, around 1.4 million federal employees might be required to work without payment, while 2.1 million military personnel might also suffer from a lack of payment, but active-duty members' checks were covered during the 2013 shutdown through a congressional bill.
All federal employees are entitled to their backpay, but contractors are not.
Shutdowns are generally unpopular, Snyderman said, noting that legislators will soon be heading back to their districts for re-election campaigns.
"The polling dictates that nobody looks like a winner, and especially in an intense political election season, a shutdown would not favor anyone," she stated.
Last week's negotiations centered around the SAVE Act, a Republican-led bill aiming to demand legitimate proof of US citizenship for registering in federal elections, despite the fact that registering as a non-citizen in federal elections is already illegal.
Former President Donald Trump and some Republicans have pushed for the SAVE Act's inclusion in any funding deal, but a vote on this bill failed in the House of Representatives. Trump has publicly advocated for the GOP to shut down the government if the measure isn't included, however, Republicans lack the necessary votes to do so.
Last week, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned of the repercussions of a government shutdown, mentioning how "tens of thousands of children across the country could immediately lose access to Head Start," borrowing could slow down, and border security could end up in disarray.
However, Social Security benefits would still be paid even if the government shuts down.
Even the threat of a shutdown can negatively impact the lives of federal employees, who might have to forego their paychecks.
"Just because the shutdown threat has become routine doesn't imply that federal employees aren't worried," Doreen Greenwald, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union (which represents about 150,000 government workers), stated in a statement. "A shutdown is a political failure that sends ripples through the economy, beginning with federal employees who may be left without work and unpaid."
The American Federation of Government Employees stated that their members "are fed up with politicians disrespecting our lives and the work we do for the American people." The Federation is the largest federal employee union, representing 750,000 employees in the federal government and the District of Columbia government.
"We have one straightforward message to Members of Congress: stop the politics, carry out the most basic legislative responsibility, and fund the government," said the Federation's National President, Everett Kelley, in a statement.
As for his stance, President Joe Biden urged Congress to approve the temporary bill.
"It's crucial that we do this," he stated during a Friday Cabinet meeting. "It's the only way forward, and it requires working collectively across the aisle."
The ongoing politics surrounding the funding bill has led to the possibility of a shutdown, affecting millions of federal workers and military personnel. This situation highlights the need for politicians to put aside their differences and approve the temporary funding bill, as urged by President Joe Biden.
