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1h ago

Shutdown Risk Grows as Trump Administration Withholds Agency Contingency Plans

With days left in the fiscal year, the absence of disclosures leaves service disruptions as well as furlough decisions unclear.

A view of the dome of the US Capitol building, Washington, DC, September 19, 2025.
The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
Federal agencies' contingency plans for a government shutdown are normally posted to the Office of Management and Budget's website, but the agency has not recently updated versions of the plans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., at a news conference following a House GOP Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 16, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Overview

  • Eight days before the Sept. 30 funding deadline, the House-passed stopgap to Nov. 21 has stalled in the Senate, and both chambers are out this week with the Senate due back Sept. 29.
  • The Office of Management and Budget removed previously posted contingency plans earlier this year, the White House webpage is blank, and updated agency plans have not been shared publicly.
  • Senator Gary Peters urged immediate release of the plans that guide Antideficiency Act compliance, while policy experts warned that the lack of visibility heightens uncertainty for workers and communities.
  • OPM says no salaries are paid during a lapse but back pay is guaranteed by law once funding resumes; FEHBP, dental, and vision coverage continue with premiums accruing, and the current pay period ends Oct. 4 with potential paycheck impacts by Oct. 10 if a shutdown persists.
  • Past data suggest uneven effects across agencies, with a 2023 estimate of about 737,000 potential furloughs and historically fewer furloughs at VA, DHS, and Justice than at Education, NASA, and EPA.