A partial government shutdown is still in effect, even after the Senate approved a plan to fund the government after hours of negotiations. This funding package still needs approval from the House of Representatives, though — which isn’t set to be in session until Monday.
The Office of Management and Budget sent out a memo Friday evening telling affected agencies to execute plans for an “orderly shutdown.”
“Employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly
shutdown activities,” OMB Director Russell Vought wrote. “It is our hope that this lapse will be
short. Agencies should continue to closely monitor developments, and 0MB will provide
further guidance as appropriate.”
Affected agencies are:
- The Department of Defense
- The Department of Homeland Security
- The Department of Labor
- The Department of Health and Human Services
- The Department of Education
- The State Department
- The Department of Transportation
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development
Congress already passed legislation to fund other agencies for the rest of the year, such as the Justice Department, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Energy. According to the Internal Revenue Service contingency plan, it will use money from the Inflation Reduction Act to cover operating needs until Feb. 7.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Social Security benefits will still be given out, and Medicare and Medcaid services will continue even with a lapse in appropriations.
Because the U.S. Post Service is an independent entity that funds itself without tax dollars, its operations won’t be interrupted and post offices will remain open for business.
Analysts who spoke to ABC News predicted only minimal damage for the U.S. economy, though this depends on how long the partial shutdown lasts. Furloughed public workers who don’t get paid could lead to a loss in consumer spending, they noted, which could be recovered when workers get their backpay.
“There is no upside to the economy of a partial government shutdown, but any downside will be on the margin,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said to the outlet.
Why is the shutdown happening?
Senators voted 71-29 on a funding package that approves five appropriation bills, with funding through September, and a two-week stopgap for DHS. The stopgap funds DHS at its current level as Congress continues to debate Democrats’ proposals for the department.
This vote came after Senate Democrats refused to vote on an originally proposed bill, which included funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats said they want to see new guardrails on immigration enforcement before they would approve more funding, especially after recent fatal shootings by federal agents.
While the Senate beat the deadline to prevent a shutdown, House members are still on recess.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. said on X that the House Democratic Caucus “will evaluate the spending legislation on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively.”
“Our commitment is to protect the health, safety and economic well-being of the American people at all times,” he said. “Taxpayer dollars should be used to address the affordability crisis ravaging the country, not brutalize and kill American citizens. The Trump administration must set forth an ironclad path that dramatically reforms ICE and other DHS agencies that the American people know have become lawless and heavy handed.”
Politico reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a private call to other Republican representatives that he plans to hold a vote by Monday evening.
