Government Shutdown: Here’s How It Will Happen

A government shutdown is about to be issued and it will spell doom and gloom for all of us! Okay, so maybe the government shutdown isn’t the end of days scenario the Republican party has proclaimed, but it is still a definite possibility.

If the government shutdown does occur, some positions will definitely feel the sting. For example, military service members will stay on the job. However, government officials warned that military service workers could witness a delay in their October 15 paycheck.

Federal museum and National Zoo employees will be out of work, which will result in the closure of many tourist based destinations.

The federal government is likely to furlough most of the housing department, which will put FHA loans on standby.

So, how will agencies prepare for the government shutdown? Essential service workers will continue to be employed and receive compensation. That means police, firefighters, and EMTs will still have paying positions, although the money they receive will be delayed during the shutdown.

Employees who work at jobs that are funded by money other than the annual appropriations from Congress will also continue to work. Presidential appointees will remain on the job.

“Non-expected” workers will be furloughed without pay while Congress attempts to work out financial details.

The government shutdown will also halt all temporary duty travel unless in direct support of the war in Afghanistan or related to safety of life and protection of property or foreign relations.

Workers who remain fully employed during the shutdown will be paid, but only after Congress appropriates funds to do so.

The government shutdown will also halt all death benefits to family members who lost a loved one during military service.

The United States justice system will continue to employ justices during the shutdown. The court system will remain open for 10 business days if the shutdown moves forward. Justices can continue to serve based on fees and funds acquired from prior appropriations. The justice system will run out of funds around October 15.

While justices will continue to work, the Department of Justice plans to furlough around 15 percent of its 114,486-person workforce.

The Department of Health and Human Services will furlough 52 percent of its employees during the government shutdown. Workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be affected, but some workers would remain on staff to process samples and investigate potential hazards.

A large number of employees for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will remain employed and Medicare is expected to continue “largely without disruption.”

Passport offices will remain open, since they generate enough fees to support their own operation.

While 84 percent of zoo workers will be furloughed, the remaining 16 percent will remain employed. Workers remaining on the job are those people directly connected to the care and protection of wildlife.

One worrisome area is that of chemical spill investigations. Those services will be fully halted without pay during the shutdown. The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board will furlough 37 of its 40 staff members.

Crews aboard the International Space Station will at least have support, as NASA will keep some employees on the federal payroll in order to support life.

The term “government shutdown” makes it sound like everyone will go home and traffic lights will turn off, 911 services will disappear, and we will fall into anarchy. In reality, the fear mongering about the shutdown is far worse than the actual outcome.