29-9-2023 (WASHINGTON) The specter of a government shutdown looms over the United States as the government has initiated the process of notifying employees about a potential shutdown. Millions of federal workers and military personnel could find themselves either sent home or working without pay unless Congress can reach a last-minute agreement.
If no agreement is reached, funding for a significant portion of the federal government will expire at midnight on Saturday. This looming shutdown poses a serious threat to various aspects of American life, from air travel to benefit payments, and could further undermine the already precarious US economy.
The deadlock in Congress has been instigated by a faction of staunch Republicans who are resisting short-term funding deals. They are pushing for deep spending cuts, which has created a political impasse.
Some federal employees have already been informed about the preparations for a potential shutdown, as revealed in a notice seen by AFP.
An internal memo at the Department of Health and Human Services outlined how there would be “reduced staffing across nearly every division for the duration of the lapse.” Nevertheless, many critical programs would continue.
The memo also mentioned updated contingency plans, stating that “pre-notified employees would be temporarily furloughed,” meaning they would not be permitted to work. However, they would receive retroactive pay once the shutdown ends.
It’s understood that staff in other government agencies have received similar notices.
In the event of a government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed without receiving their salaries. Meanwhile, members of the military and other employees deemed essential would continue working without pay.
Certain benefits, like Social Security checks, would remain unaffected. However, the unpaid workers may eventually stop showing up for work, potentially affecting sectors such as air travel.
Apart from the risk of a funding lapse, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faces an additional challenge with a Saturday deadline for reauthorization. It remains uncertain whether lawmakers will pass an FAA reauthorization law separately from a spending package.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg voiced his concerns during a press conference, stating that “there is no good time for a government shutdown,” and adding, “this is a particularly bad time.” He emphasized that the consequences would be both disruptive and perilous.
In Washington, young climate activists from the youth-led Sunrise Movement entered the office of Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to demand that a government shutdown be averted.
The White House also issued a warning, stating that a shutdown would leave the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund underfunded, resulting in the “delay of nearly 2,000 long-term recovery projects” across the country.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, has expressed his commitment to bipartisanship in resolving the situation, while blaming House Speaker McCarthy for prioritizing the desires of a small group of hard-right extremists with little to show for it.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell characterized a government shutdown as an “actively harmful proposition.”
If a full shutdown were to occur, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union estimates that nearly 1.8 million federal workers would go unpaid for the duration.
A spokeswoman for the International Monetary Fund described the shutdown as an “avoidable risk” for the US economy and encouraged the parties involved to come together and find consensus on funding the US government.
