News
20/12/24
US government agencies set to shut down
Washington, 20 December (Argus) — US federal agencies would have to furlough
millions of workers and curtail permitting and regulatory services if no
agreement is reached by Friday at 11:59pm ET to extend funding for the
government. US president-elect Donald Trump and his allies — including Tesla
chief executive Elon Musk — on 18 December upended a spending deal US House of
Representatives speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had negotiated with
Democratic lawmakers in the House and the Senate. Trump endorsed an alternative
proposal that Johnson put together, but that measure failed in a 174-235 vote
late on Thursday, with 38 Republicans and nearly every Democrat voting against
it. Trump via social media today indicated he would not push for a new funding
bill. "If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under
the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under 'TRUMP,'" he wrote.
There was little to indicate as of Friday morning that Trump, Republican
congressional leadership and lawmakers were negotiating in earnest to avert a
shutdown. The House Republican conference is due to meet in the afternoon to
weigh its next steps. President Joe Biden said he would support the first
funding deal that Johnson negotiated with the Democratic lawmakers. "Republicans
are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of
hardworking Americans," the White House said. Any agreement on funding the
government will have to secure the approval of the House Republican leadership
and all factions of the Republican majority in the House, who appear to be
looking for cues from Trump and Musk on how to proceed. Any deal would then
require the support of at least 60 House Democrats to clear the procedural
barriers, before it reaches the Senate where the Democrats hold a majority. The
same factors will be in play even if the shutdown extends into early 2025. The
Republicans are set to take the majority in the Senate when new Congress meets
on 3 January. But their House majority will be even slimmer, at 219-215,
requiring cooperation of Democratic lawmakers and the Biden administration. What
happens when the government shuts down? Some agencies are able to continue
operations in the event of a funding lapse. Air travel is unlikely to face
immediate interruptions because key federal workers are considered "essential,"
but some work on permits, agricultural and import data, and regulations could be
curtailed. The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has funding to get
through a "short-term" shutdown but could be affected by a longer shutdown,
chairman Willie Phillips said. The US Department of Energy, which includes the
Energy Information Administration and its critical energy data provision
services, expects "no disruptions" if funding lapses for 1-5 days, according to
its shutdown plan. The US Environmental Protection Agency would furlough about
90pc of its nearly 17,000 staff in the event of a shutdown, according to a plan
it updated earlier this year. The Interior Department's shutdown contingency
plan calls for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to furlough 4,900 out of its
nearly 10,000 employees. BLM, which is responsible for permitting oil, gas and
coal activities on the US federal land, would cease nearly all functions other
than law enforcement and emergency response. Interior's Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement, which oversees offshore leases, would continue
permitting activities but would furlough 60pc of its staff after its funding
lapses. The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will keep processing some oil
and gas exploration plans with an on-call group of 40 exempted personnel, such
as time-sensitive actions related to ongoing work. The shutdown also affects
multiple other regulatory and permitting functions across other government
agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation and Treasury.
By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at
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