Congress may be heading another government shutdown Friday midnight if Republicans and Democrats fail to pass the bill to fund the government by then.
This is not the first time the government has shut down because Congress was unable to negotiate a funding package. NS the last time the government closed it’s in december 2018 – deadlock ends in January 2019 after then-President Donald Trump acknowledged a funding package that did not include the billions of dollars in border wall funding he had already spent. more than a month requires.
There are many details on how the government shutdown might play out, but protocols set forth by the Office of Management and Budget shed some light.
The OMB oversees the implementation of executive branch initiatives and is responsible for alerting government employees to the government shutdown. Even before the government shutdown over disagreement in Congress, the OMB had plans for every government ministry and agency, all of which were laid out in considerable detail. on its website.
These specific plans include information on how many staff members will be added, what personnel are needed and will be working without pay (e.g. air traffic controllers, agents, and laboratory staff). test by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), how long it will take to shut down in the hours before shutting down, and what operations to pause.
Some ministries – such as the Department of Defense, the Department of State and the Department of Labor – need at least half a day to prepare for the shutdown.
The military is considered essential and will still report for duty. However, troops – including those at war – are likely to go unpaid during the shutdown.
Also expected: If the shutdown continues into the weekend, many civilian Department of Defense employees may not be at work, including instructors at military academies and military institutions. maintenance contractor.
If the shutdown goes on for weeks, more than 2.14 million active-duty service members will likely work without pay. Troops are currently paid through February 1.
The closure will also affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, meaning that if you want a gun license, you’ll have to wait until the shutdown ends.
Essential services, such as Social Security, air traffic control and the Transportation Security Administration, will continue to be funded even if some employees of those agencies do not. .
And the US Postal Service won’t stop serving residents – expect your mail to continue through the weekend.
Read more about the effects here.
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