Federal Government Policy and Business

Agencies Begin Posting Their Shutdown Furlough Plans

Government Executive: Federal agencies for the first time since 2015 are beginning to update their shutdown contingency plans, noting who would continue to work and who would get sent home in the event Congress fails to reach a budget deal.

White House officials warned agencies they should begin preparing for a lapse in appropriations during a phone call led by the Office of Management in Budget. Lawmakers have until Friday to pass a measure to keep agencies open, and the call is routine any time a shutdown deadline nears.

An update to OMB guidance during the Obama administration required agencies to update their shutdown plans at least every two years starting in 2015. Nearly all agencies refreshed their documents spelling out who would or would not be furloughed in September of that year, and only a handful have done so since that time. On Monday, 10 agencies submitted their updated shutdown guidance to OMB. Most were small agencies, such as the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board and the Commission on Fine Arts. Some larger agencies also released new plans, however.

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