What Happens in a Shutdown?
January 19 2018 - 5:57PM
Dow Jones News
By Kate Davidson
What happens at 12:01 a.m.?
In short, not much. Most federal agencies are closed on the
weekend, so the effect of any shutdown may initially be muted. The
White House has said national parks will remain open, though trash
won't be picked up, and the Transportation Security Administration
will continue to screen bags and passengers at airports across the
country. The Smithsonian museums in Washington are expected to have
enough funding to operate on Saturday and Sunday, but will close
next week if the government doesn't reopen.
What do federal workers do?
Federal employees report to work for four hours of the first
working day of a shutdown -- in this case, Monday morning -- to
learn whether they are subject to furloughs or considered exempt,
put up "out of office" notices, secure property, turn in their
mobile devices and tie up loose ends for an indefinite period.
How many federal workers are affected?
During the 2013 shutdown, the Office of Management and Budget
estimated that approximately 850,000 workers were furloughed per
day initially, or 40% of the federal workforce, though that number
fluctuated.
Will they get paid?
Not immediately. Federal workers may get awarded back pay, which
is what happened in 2013, but not everyone on Capitol Hill is
convinced that would happen this time. In some states, workers can
file for unemployment compensation, but they would have to pay it
back if they are awarded back pay.
Employees will still receive paychecks for hours worked before
the shutdown, according to guidance from the OMB.
Can federal workers who want to work show up anyway?
No. The law prohibits the government from accepting any
voluntary work from federal employees -- even those who don't want
to fall behind on that big project.
Are any federal agencies open?
Some agencies can continue to operate for a limited time during
a shutdown, and the administration has fairly wide latitude to
determine which employees are deemed essential. The judicial branch
could continue to operate for a limited time using funds from court
filings and other fees. Independent agencies that don't receive
their funding from Congress -- such as financial regulators who are
funded by fees on financial firms -- would stay open. In many cases
however, government operations would be significantly scaled back.
For example, the 16-day shutdown in 2013 delayed almost $4 billion
in tax refunds from being issued and forced temporary cutbacks in
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flu-season
monitoring program.
Will I get mail?
Yes, the U.S. Postal Service continues to operate during a
shutdown.
Will government payments to private citizens continue, such as
Social Security checks?
Yes, Social Security and Medicare payments, as well as federal
retiree benefits, will still be made. They aren't funded by annual
appropriations -- which is what the spending bill would authorize
-- and the workers who send them out have been deemed
necessary.
How long will it last?
The shutdown would end as soon as the president signs a bill
authorizing new spending, either for a temporary period -- the most
likely scenario -- or until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
The last shutdown, in October 2013, lasted for 16 days. The
previous shutdown before that lasted for 21 full days, ending on
Jan. 6, 1996.
Write to Kate Davidson at kate.davidson@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 19, 2018 17:42 ET (22:42 GMT)
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