For the first time since
1995-1996, when the corrupt and delusional sleazeball Newt Gingrich (R) was Speaker of the House (and was the chief instigator of that shutdown), the United States Government will be shut down due to the
GOP's insistence on including a continuing resolution bill that supports defunding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). The government shutdown is 100% the (House) GOP's fault.
Key questions:
Does this mean that the GOP may have just cost themselves control of the House and/or lose Senate seats in 2014?
Does John Boehner stay on as the Speaker of the House for the rest of the 113th Congressional session, or does the GOP get a new Speaker?
Our economy could be hurt by this disastrous shutdown:
Our soldiers in the military will get pay during the government shutdown:
In much brighter news: Even though the federal government is shut down due to the GOP and the Tea Party, the implementation of enrollment marketplace exchanges as part of the PPACA that begins today on 10.01.2013 will remain in effect.
CNN has an interactive article on what's open and closed during the shutdown:
Key Closures:
Federal Communications Commission 1,754 38 1,716
During a shutdown, all FCC activities other than those immediately necessary for the protection of life or property will cease.
US Holocaust Memorial Museum 402 225
Museum will be closed to the public
Federal Election Commission 346 6 340
An independent regulatory agency, the FEC discloses campaign finance information, enforces the laws on campaign contributions and oversees the public funding of presidential elections.
National Labor Relations Board 1,611 11 1,600
Case handling, outreach and information office is closed.
US Postal Service Inspector General 1,136 19 1,117
Federal Labor Relations Authority 130 4 126 Of the approximate 130 current Agency employees, four employees, which consist of the FLRA Chairman, two Authority Members and the GC, are deemed necessary.
Federal Trade Commission 1,178 285 893
All commission employees shall be furloughed except those performing work to address a threat to human life or property; those involved in the orderly shutdown of agency operations; and those otherwise allowed by operation of law.
National Science Foundation 2,000 300 1,700
The NSF was created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense."
Office of Government Ethics 63 1 62
The OGE provides oversight and accountability of executive branch policies designed to prevent and resolve conflicts of interest.
Smithsonian 4,202 688 3,514
All museums would close. Excepted employees include those who protect the collections, feed the animals, etc. Volunteers aren't allowed to help out. Of, 4,202 employees, 688 would be excepted and expected to work. 2013 contingency plan
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission 58 2 56
Totally closed. IT and Administrative Assistant are the only employees retained
Key Open:
For 10 days U.S. courts
The U.S. court system could operate for 10 days on available funds.
For a few weeks U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
The USPTO could operate for "a few weeks" with available funds.
Functions continue Active duty military (Department of Defense) 1,400,000 1,400,000
All active duty military remain on the job. They will receive paychecks October 1.
Functions continue Armed Forces Retirement Home 285 249 36
The two retirement homes are in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Washington. During a funding hiatus, the AFRH will remain open to ensure the health and safety of residents, protect property or to provide other emergency services.
Functions continue Individual congressional offices
Each member of Congress determines which of his or her staff remains on the job during a shutdown. The law governing shutdowns allows for workers who support a constitutionally mandated function (such as legislating) to work after funding has lapsed.
Functions continue Peace Corps 1,055 428 627
It would be logistically difficult for the Peace Corps to cease its operations overseas. The agency would wait at least 15 days to begin winding down those operations.
Mostly open Broadcasting Board of Governors 1,600 989 611
Broadcasters within the BBG network include the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Total employees and total furloughed are rough, based on percentages. Most broadcasting activities would continue.
Mostly open Department of Veterans Affairs 332,025 317,801 14,224
Most employees at the VA are funded through multi-year and other types of appropriations. That is why such a large percentage are expected to work.
Mostly open Department of State
Consular operations will continue if the government shuts down, which means that people would be able to get visas and passports. However, there is an exception is for passport offices that are located in buildings that are otherwise shutdown, so some people may see delays in their applications. Travel plans for State Department personnel will mostly be put on hold, as will all new employment offers. The State Department has not released exact numbers of furloughs, but in previous shutdowns, furloughs were felt more heavily at the department's headquarters in Washington than at posts overseas. The State Department contingency plan did not list the total or furloughed number of employees at the department.
Mostly open Social Security Administration 62,343 44,337 18,006 Necessary implication act allows for partial functionality
Mostly open Department of Veterans Affairs 332,025 317,801 14,224
Most employees at the VA are funded through multi-year and other types of appropriations. That is why such a large percentage are expected to work.
Key Partially Closed:
Partially Closed/Shutdown National Transportation Safety Board Will still investigate major accidents and continue ongoing investigations.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Treasury 1,976 979 997
The Treasury department is broken up into a number of bureaus elsewhere on this list that perform specific functions. These 1,976 people are detailed to the headquarters in Washington, D.C. Those expected to work include the Secretary of the Treasury and his staff.
Partially Closed/Shutdown National Archives and Records Administration
3,184 1,252 1,932 Established in 1934, this agency preserves and documents vital government and historical records.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 94,516 8,752 85,764
All the following would cease in a shutdown: All audit functions; examination of returns and processing of non-electronic tax returns that do not include remittances; non-automated collections; legal counsel; taxpayer services such as responding to taxpayer questions (call sites); information systems functions (except as necessary to prevent loss of data in process); all planning, research, and training and development activities.
Partially Closed/Shutdown U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 8,709 349 8,360
In a switch from previous shutdown plans, new mortgages could be endorsed by the FHA, which backs a large percentage of US loans, particularly for first-time home buyers.But that ability would only be temporary. Loan processing would be drastically slowed.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Small Business Administration 3,516 1,329 2,187
Disaster loan program and the IG open; everything else closed
Partially Closed/Shutdown Environmental Protection Agency 16,205 1,069 15,136
Some laboratory staff stays on the job, as well as emergency responders (responding to environmental emergencies) and a few other staffers in other divisions. Most EPA operations halt.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Department of Homeland Security 231,117 199,822 31,295
The following will be affected: All non-disaster grants programs administered by FEMA and other DHS components; citizens and U.S. businesses will not be able to access E-Verify; FEMA will cease providing high-quality data that is used for public planning. which ultimately is used to make insurance determinations for homeowners; the issuance or renewals of seaman documentation and licensing; fisheries enforcement patrols and routine maintenance to aids to navigation will be limited or curtailed.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Department of Transportation 55,468 36,987 18,481
FAA remains near full functionality (including air traffic controllers and safety responsibilities).
Partially Closed/Shutdown Department of Energy 13,814 5,343 8,471
Advanced Energy Research Projects would shut down.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Department of Commerce 46,420 6,186 40,234
Most research activities at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be suspended; U.S Census Bureau activities will be suspended.
Partially Closed/Shutdown USDA - Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services 1,363 171 1,192
SNAP -- food stamps -- continue at least for one month. But WIC, a separate program for pregnant women and children, would shut down. WIC affects 9 million people per month according to their government website.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Department of Labor 16,304 2,954 13,350 Largest division staying in business would be Worker Compensation Programs, which keeps most staff during a shutdown. Mine Safety and the Inspector General's offices are both at half strength. The rest would be mostly furloughed, including OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment numbers). BLS can bring in a minimal staff to get out major indicators if OMB orders. It's unclear whether they'd do that for September unemployment numbers set for October 4.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Department of Justice 114,486 96,744 17,742
An enormous federal bureaucracy, the Department of Justice is comprised of 40 components. Many workers are excepted as a matter of public safety because they work in law enforcement. The majority of workers at the FBI, the ATF, the Bureau of Prisons, the DEA and other agencies within the Department of Justice would report to work. But there would be effects. US Attorneys, for instance, would curtail a good portion of civil litigation. The US Antitrust division would not prepare any new proceedings.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Department of Interior 72,562 13,797 58,765
All areas of the National Park and National Wildlife Refuge Systems would be closed and public, access would be restricted. The Bureau of Land Management would terminate all non-emergency activities on the public lands. The scientific work of the U.S. Geological Survey would be halted or conducted in a custodial manner. Only those activities needed to respond to emergency situations would be conducted by the Office of Surface Mining. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement would continue to ensure the safety of drilling and production operations and issue drilling and other offshore permits; however, renewable activities and five-year plan work would be terminated. Most activities at Bureau of Indian Affairs agency, regional and headquarters offices would be suspended. Activities to continue required payments to beneficiaries would continue. The Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians would maintain minimum operations necessary to issue checks to beneficiaries. Bureau of Reclamation activities related to continuing".
Partially Closed/Shutdown Department of Education 4,195 212 3,983
Most Department of Education employees are not excepted because the department, which is not among the largest in Washington, does not administer direct education programs. Those are done at the state level. Most of the excepted employees would work to continue administering Direct Loan and Pell Grants with the help of contractors who have already been paid.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Civilian military workers (Department of Defense) 800,000 400,000 400,000
Half of civilian workers for the military will be furloughed as soon as a shutdown goes into place. Those remaining on the job would be paid retroactively after the shutdown ends. Those furloughed would receive retroactive pay only if Congress votes to pay them after the fact.