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Government shutdown: What’s closed, what’s open?

Posted at 10:51 PM, Sep 30, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-02 09:24:32-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – With the federal government shutdown, many government services and agencies are closed, suspended or otherwise impacted.

Below is a list of offices and agencies affected until congressional leaders and the president reach an agreement on a continuing resolution to keep the government open, along with the potential number of employees affected. Full story »

Data via CNN Interactive.

Status Agency Total employees    Expected to work   Furloughed Notes
Closed/Not able to function Ability One 30 0 30 The independent agency’s 30 employees, who work on behalf of the blind, would be prohibited from working during a shutdown. Source
Closed/Not able to function American Battle Monuments Commission All sites worldwide will be closed to the public
Closed/Not able to function Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board 40 3 37 No federal employees would investigate industrial chemical spills/accidents that happen during the shutdown. Current investigations would be frozen, including investigation of the West Fertilizer explosion which killed 15 people in April. (Texas could not determine a cause, so the federal investigation is significant.)
Closed/Not able to function Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 2,164 107 2,057 Remaining staff would mostly be in the field division, which helps people file employment discrimination claims. Source
Closed/Not able to function Election Assistance Commission 26 0 26 No one would research improving federal elections or provide payments to states for improving their election systems.
Closed/Not able to function Export-Import Bank of the United States 409 17 392 Export-Import Bank has 409 employees. In the event of a furlough, the ban expects to retain 17 employees (4.1% of Ex-Im Bank’s workforce) and three contractors.
Closed/Not able to function 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. Source
Closed/Not able to function FDIC Office of Inspector General 121 8 113 This is an independent unit that conducts audits, investigations and other reviews of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s programs and operations.
Closed/Not able to function 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. Furlough projections based on 2011 numbers:Source
Closed/Not able to function 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. Source
Closed/Not able to function 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. Source
Closed/Not able to function Institute of Museum and Library Services 69 4 65 The IMLS website, http://www.imls.gov, will continue to function. Source
Closed/Not able to function Inter-American Foundation 4 The IAF assists with development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. The only activities authorized for IAF employees are those that contribute to an orderly suspension of foundation activities. Source
Closed/Not able to function Millennium Challenge Corporation 283 6 277 The MCC is an independent U.S. foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty. Source
Closed/Not able to function National Capital Planning Commission 35 5 30 The commission provides long-range planning guidance for Washington and nearby area. Unless notified otherwise, only excepted employees should report to work on the first day of a temporary lapse. Source
Closed/Not able to function National Council on Disability Source
Closed/Not able to function National Gallery of Art During a lapse in federal funding, the gallery and its grounds, including the Sculpture Garden, will be closed to the public. All public programs and events will be canceled. Source
Closed/Not able to function 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…”
Closed/Not able to function 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.
Closed/Not able to function 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
Closed/Not able to function U.S. Office of Special Council 110 14 96 Whistleblower disclosures involving a substantial and serious risk to public health or safety or those requiring emergency action to protect property will continue to be processed. Source
Closed/Not able to function U.S. Trade and Development Agency 48 4 44 The agency promotes U.S. economic interest in foreign counties. Source
Open/For 10 days U.S. courts The U.S. court system could operate for 10 days on available funds.
Open/For a few weeks U.S. Patent and Trademark Office The USPTO could operate for “a few weeks” with available funds.
Open/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. But if a shutdown lasts until October 7, that could affect their next paychecks. Those paychecks could be delayed until after a shutdown.
Open/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.
Open/Functions continue Appalachian Regional Commission The ARC works to further economic development in Appalachia. It’s funded through exempt money.
Open/Functions continue Bureau of Public Debt 771 771 0 The bureau is small agency within the Department of the Treasury. During a lapse in appropriation, it will continue to provide resources necessary to support disbursements to Social Security recipients, maintain government-wide accounting activities as well as activities related to federal government borrowing and tax collection. Source
Open/Functions continue Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency 1,231 1,016 215 Serving the District of Columbia, the court’s mission is to enhance public safety, prevent crime and reduce recidivism.
Open/Functions continue Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 111 111 0 The board identifies the nature and consequences of potential threats to public health and safety at the Department of Energy’s defense nuclear facilities. Initially, the board will continue full operations, but 100 people would be furloughed in an extended shutdown.
Open/Functions continue Fiscal Service Treasury Finance Fund 1,227 1,227 0 There could be a scenario where some workers would be furloughed down the road. Most are funded by multi-year appropriations.
Open/Functions continue Department of Health and Human Services 78,198 40,512 37,686 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would continue large portions of Affordable Care Act activities, including coordination between Medicaid and the Marketplace, as well as insurance rate reviews, and assessment of a portion of insurance premiums that are used on medical services. In the short term, the Medicare Program will continue largely uninterrupted.
Open/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.
Open/Functions continue Kennedy Center 50 In the event of a shutdown, the Kennedy Center will continue its nonappropriated functions and honor all nonappropriated fund contracts, including planned performances, educational activities and employment activities for its approximately 1,150 trust employees. Source
Open/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.
Open/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.
Open/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.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 39 5 34 Within one hour of learning about a shutdown, the director of the Office of Administration will send an e-mail advisory to all the staff. Source
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.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Commodity Futures Trading Commission 680 37 643 Minimum level of oversight and surveillance of the futures markets, clearing operations and intermediaries is maintained. However, the vast bulk of the CFTC’s oversight and surveillance functions will cease during a lapse of appropriations.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Consumer Product Safety Commission 540 22 518 With 22 workers left, analysis of defective products will continue; recalls still coordinated; imports still monitored.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Corporation for National and Community Service 610 72 538 It’s core programs are Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and the Social Innovation Fund. Previously awarded grants and cooperative agreements will not be affected by the absence of current appropriations. However, no new grants will be awarded during this period and program and grants staff will not be available to provide assistance to grantees.
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 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” Source
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 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. Source
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 Department of Energy 13,814 5,343 8,471 Advanced Energy Research Projects would shut down.
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 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 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 Executive Office of the President 1,701 436 1,265 Many entities exist under the EOP. A few of them include: Office of Budget and Management, Council of Economic Advisors, Office of the First Lady and Office of the White House Counsel.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Financial Crimes Enforcement Network 345 30 315 Its mission is safeguard the financial system from illicit use and combat money laundering. Significant agency activities that will continue include: Providing investigative support to law enforcement investigations; addressing dissemination issues; continuing computer operations to prevent loss of data; and maintaining minimal telecommunications. Source
Partially Closed/Shutdown Financial Management Service 1,370 735 635 A bureau of the U.S. Treasury, the FMS operates the federal government’s collections and deposit systems, among other duties. All employees must report for duty on the first work day of shutdown. If an appropriations bill has not been approved, non-excepted staff will be given furlough notices and dismissed until funding is approved by Congress.Source
Partially Closed/Shutdown General Services Administration 11,821 4,094 7,727 GSA oversees the business of the U.S. federal government. Its policies cover travel, property and management practices. In the absence of appropriations, GSA owned and leased buildings will remain open and operate in “weekend mode.”Source
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 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. Source
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 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.
Open/Mostly open Delta Regional Authority 6 The Delta Regional Authority works to improve life for the residents of 252 counties and parishes across eight states that border the Mississippi River. It will remain mostly open using unobligated, prior-year funds.
Open/Mostly open Denali Commission 14 14 0 It’s independent federal agency designed to provide critical utilities, infrastructure and economic support throughout Alaska. All employees are exempt.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau 483 35 448 Most tax duties will continue, but processing of requests for new licenses, label approval and manufacture of non-beverage products would cease.
Open/Functions continue Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program 193 193 0 The office is financed by multi-year appropriations and so essentially excepted from shutdown. It provides oversight for the 2008 Wall Street Bailout.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration 766 297 469 The Treasury Department’s independent overseer of the IRS would halt most new investigations and there would be a slow-down to others.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Treasury Office of Inspector General 181 27 154 From their contingency plan: “In the event of a lapse in funding, the OIG would suspend most operations (including audits) except those required by law. “
Open/Functions continue Farm Credit Administration FCA operates as a nonappropriated agency with a permanent, readily available, revolving fund. As such, FCA is not reliant on the passage of annual appropriation legislation for its operating expenses or ongoing operations.
Open/Functions continue Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation If Congress failed to pass a federal budget or a continuing resolution for fiscal year 2014, FCSIC would remain open during a government shutdown and its employees would report to work.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 1,460 67 1,393 Inspections, market monitoring, and electric grid monitoring continue
Closed/Not able to function Federal Maritime Commission 120 0 120 All Commission activities will be completely shut down by 12:00 p.m. ET Tuesday.
Closed/Not able to function International Boundary Commission 8 1 7 Maintenance of the US/Canada border provided by the U.S. Section of the IBC. Phone calls will be forwarded to the Acting Commissioner. All other functions will cease.
Partially Closed/Shutdown International Boundary and Water Commission 188 Operations office will close, engineering office will close, Operations department will continue to operate critical functions.
Closed/Not able to function International Joint Commission 20 1 19 Virtually all IJC work will cease, U.S. Chair will be excepted to make emergency decisions.
Closed/Not able to function National Labor Relations Board 1,611 11 1,600 Case handling, outreach and information office is closed.
Partially Closed/Shutdown National Transportation Safety Board Will still investigate major accidents and continue ongoing investigations.
Closed/Not able to function US Postal Service Inspector General 1,136 19 1,117
Open/Mostly open Nuclear Regulatory Commission Funded by no-year appropriations; will remain mostly open until prior year funds are exhausted.
Closed/Not able to function United States Interagency Council on Homelessness 21 0 21 USICH does not conduct exempted activities
Closed/Not able to function US Holocaust Memorial Museum 402 225 Museum will be closed to the public
Closed/Not able to function US Commission of Fine Arts 10 0 10 CFA activities are classified as non-exempt
Closed/Not able to function United States African Development Foundation 66 5 61 Grants are fully obligated, so recipients remain operational
Closed/Not able to function United States Access Board 29 0 29
Partially Closed/Shutdown Udall Foundation Education activities continue; US institute closes completely
Open/Mostly open Social Security Administration 62,343 44,337 18,006 Necessary implication act allows for partial functionality
Partially Closed/Shutdown Small Business Administration 3,516 1,329 2,187 Disaster loan program and the IG open; everything else closed
Closed/Not able to function Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission 58 2 56 Totally closed. IT and Administrative Assistant are the only employees retained
Open/Mostly open Office of Personnel Management The majority of OPM’s functions are funded by sources other than annual appropriations, and thus would continue during a government shutdown caused by a lapse in appropriations.
Open/Mostly open Overseas Private Investment Corporation 240 240 0 Commitments of new loans, loan guarantees and Political Risk insurance will not take place during shutdown – not because of a hiatus in appropriations, per se, but because a temporary reauthorization provision dependent on the appropriations process will lapse during the shutdown.
Open/Mostly open Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction 192 192 0 In FY 2013, SIGAR was funded by multi-year appropriations which expire September 30, 2014. SIGAR will continue to fund agency operations during a lapse in funding through the use of carryover funds. If the period of funding lapse exceeds 61 days the carryover funds available, SIGAR will initiate implementation of this plan.
Partially Closed/Shutdown Postal Regulatory Commission 70 8 62
Partially Closed/Shutdown Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board 5 All staff furloughed except for the full-time chairman and four part-time board members.
Open/Mostly open US Agency for International Development The Agency will continue operating using residual balances in multi-year and no-year accounts until these funds are insufficient to continue. During this time, operations will be restricted.
Closed/Not able to function Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission 75 8 67 The Commission will continue to adjudicate those Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 disputes that arise from a mine emergency and are necessary to ensure continued public health and safety. The Commission will continue to review incoming filings for emergency and time sensitive items. The Commission will continue to decide whether to grant or deny Petitions for Discretionary Review.
Open/Mostly open USDA – Food Safety and Inspection Service 9,633 8,415 1,218 Field inspection of meat, poultry and egg products continue.
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.
Open/Mostly open USDA – Agricultural Marketing Service 2,696 2,272 424
Partially Closed/Shutdown USDA – Departmental Management 165 Emergency response continues, protection of federal lands continues, protection against cyber security continues
Open/Mostly open USDA – Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration 743 528 215 GIPSA would continue to provide inspection and weighing services that are supported by user fees
Open/Mostly open USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service 148 The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, according to its website, “administers programs that facilitate the efficient, fair marketing of U.S. agricultural products, including food, fiber, and specialty crops.”
Closed/Not able to function USDA – Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 154 0 154 There are no employees necessary to lead and direct the continuation of activities.
Closed/Not able to function USDA – Office of Budget and Program Analysis 2 Only the director and associate director would remain to manage continued activities
Closed/Not able to function USDA – Office of the Chief Economist 0 No activities of OCE involve law enforcement, health, safety, life, or property. OCE has no funds available to finance activities other than appropriations. Consequently, no OCE employees are considered exigency employees.
Partially Closed/Shutdown USDA – Office of Communications 78 2 76 Unless otherwise directed by OMB, the USDA.gov web site will go dark and be linked to a “splash” page; Press releases will not be generated nor will there be USDA contact with the media.
Closed/Not able to function USDA – Office of Ethics 0 Unless specifically requested by the Office of the Secretary or the General Counsel, and only for those times requested, the OE Director will be in a furlough status along with the rest of the OE staff.
Partially Closed/Shutdown USDA – Office of the General Counsel 11 The top lawyer for the US Department of Agriculture and his staff would not be furloughed.
Partially Closed/Shutdown USDA – Research, Education and Economics 10,190 400 6,190 Market news reports, NASS statistics, and other agricultural economic and statistical reports and projections would be discontinued; Research facilities would be closed except for the care for animals, plants and associated infrastructure to preserve agricultural research
Closed/Not able to function USDA – Risk Management Agency 430 0 430 RMA will not maintain any activities during a government shutdown. RMA will not maintain any staff to either pay contractual obligations or perform any regulatory functions such as editing data.
Closed/Not able to function USDA – Rural Development 4,730 53 4,677 This offshoot of the Agriculture department has no program activities that would continue in the absence of an appropriation. However, there are certain limited activities that are viewed as “excepted” for the purpose of preserving the Government’s property. This property includes RD’s loans portfolio, which exceeds $190 billion and serves as collateral for loans, and borrowers’ funds paid to RD in escrow for real estate taxes and property insurance.
Open/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.