The holiday season is not looking jolly for lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are under pressure to avoid a late-December government shutdown.
With government funding set to lapse when the clock strikes midnight on Friday, Republican congressional leaders are scrambling to come up with a proposal to keep the government’s doors open and prevent millions of federal employees from being furloughed days before Christmas and Hanukkah — with the number of federal employees in New Jersey well over six digits.
The House on Thursday rejected a bill in a 174-235 vote, well below the two-thirds majority needed, with 38 Republicans joining 197 Democrats opposing a deal backed by President-elect Donald Trump in the House of Representatives. An initial bipartisan deal was tanked earlier this week by Trump and his ally Elon Musk.
With a shutdown scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, see how it could impact businesses, programs and holiday travel.
What is a government shutdown?
If a deal isn’t struck by midnight, the government will have its first shutdown since 2018 into 2019, when President Donald Trump failed to sign an appropriations bill that covered nine federal departments. About 800,000 federal employees went without pay for 35 days between Dec. 22, 2018 and Jan. 25, 2019.
While the word “shutdown” may allude to a complete halt, that’s not necessarily the case. A shutdown of the government is a forced halt of most federal operations and services that are considered non-emergent or not deemed necessary to protect national security, public health, public safety, or property, according to Britannica.
Government shutdowns typically result from partisan disagreements over proposed funding levels in budgetary recommendations submitted to Congress, meaning it fails to pass one or more annual appropriation bills, the online encyclopedia states.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters ahead of a vote to pass the American Relief Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 19, 2024. The legislation failed to pass the House in a 174-235 vote.
What will close if a government shutdown happens?
Major nonessential services cease operation when the government shuts down, meaning many federal employees may be left without pay.
Workers identified as essential in areas such as defense, energy, agriculture and other sectors continue to work but may not be paid right away. However, they will be reimbursed for retroactive wages later, according to a 2019 law.
Nonessential workers may be furloughed and are not allowed or be paid until the government reopens, according to a recent rundown by Reuters.
But what federal workers are considered essential? Federal agencies organize their employees by the urgency of their work during a shutdown, according to a breakdown by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Employers consider if the work is:
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Compensation is financed by a resource other than annual appropriations
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Necessary to perform activities expressly authorized by law
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Necessary to perform activities necessarily implied by law
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Necessary to the discharge of the President’s constitutional duties and powers
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Necessary to protect life and property
The U.S. Department of Health, for example, has in place a contingency plan for agency operations during a government shutdown, with 49,625 staff members considered essential and 40,887 staff members being furloughed, which breaks down to 55% retained and 45% furloughed.
How many federal employees are there in New Jersey?
There were 605,800 governmental employees in the Garden State as of October, a slight drop from 610,400 in June but a progressive climb from a deep dip of 565,000 employees in January 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The federal government employs about 3 million people nationwide, according to U.S. Bureau of Statistics.
How will a government shutdown impact holiday travel?
Don’t fret. While it may be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will continue to operate with essential employees, despite a shutdown.
That means TSA workers who screen you at the airport and give you clearance to allow your flight to take off will continue working, though they won’t get paid until after the funding issue is resolved.
About 59,000 of the over 62,000 TSA employees are considered essential and will continue to work without pay, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said on the X platform on Thursday.
He said the agency expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. He warned that an extended shutdown could mean longer waits at airport security. Air traffic controllers at the airport would also continue to work, although absenteeism of employees could contribute to delays.
How does the government shutdown impact law enforcement and the military?
Agents in the FBI, those working in the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal law enforcement agencies are considered essential workers and would remain on the job. Federal prison staffers also fall under essential.
Most Border Patrol, immigration enforcement agents and customs agents would continue work, as would the Secret Service and the Coast Guard. Local governments will not receive new aid for migrant shelters.
Active-duty military personnel stay on the job, with about 2.1 million troops having to forgo their paycheck over the holidays unless an agreement is reached, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing on Thursday.
FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a meeting of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force at the Justice Department in Washington, on Sept. 4, 2024.
What happens to Social Security, Medicare and military benefits in a government shutdown?
Retirement and disability benefit programs, including military benefits and medical care, will continue without interruption since those funds are separate from what is being decided on right now in Congress. There may be some delays in service though due to the shutdown.
Do National Parks shut down in a government shutdown?
There are nine National Parks in New Jersey, with an estimated 5.5. million visitors each year, with people coming out to fish, hike, camp and hunt.
Under a government shutdown, National parks and monuments would close, with access and visitor services continuing through Dec. 22, with parks shuttering on Dec. 23, according to an alert on the National Park Service website. Rangers would be furloughed.
Do members of Congress still get paid in a government shutdown?
Lawmakers continue to receive pay, although staffers are furloughed. Workers deemed essential will also continue work.
Under the U.S. Constitution, senators and representatives “shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States,” meaning a salary comes despite a shutdown.
Do the president and White House employees get paid during a shutdown?
In prior shutdowns, the White House furloughed a significant portion of its staff. Essential offices, like the National Security Council, will continue operating, although others will be scaled back.
The president’s salary remains unaffected by a government shutdown.
Can federal employees apply for unemployment in a government shutdown?
Most federal workers and contractors are eligible for unemployment.
Those who believe they are eligible can visit the Department of Unemployment Service’s website to file in the jurisdictions where they work, not where they live.
Email: lcomstock@njherald.com; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Government shutdown could cause shakeup in these agencies