We need to stop the shutdown
You can also visit afge.org/ShutdownCall and urge your members of Congress to pass funding and stop the shutdown.
A group of House Republicans is ready to shut down the government if their demand for a series of deep budget cuts and conservative policy changes is not met. The shutdown will bring unprecedented chaos to the entire country as both military personnel and civilian employees will either be locked out of their jobs or required to work without pay. Critical government services will be put on hold.
Unlike the partial shutdown in 2018-2019 which affected only certain agencies, this shutdown will affect most federal employees as Congress has not enacted any of the 12 appropriations bills to fund the government in fiscal year 2024 that starts Oct. 1. The same group of Republicans has also blocked efforts to pass a clean short-term funding measure known as continuing resolution (CR).
Here are a few things you need to know:
Why is the shutdown happening?
The House Freedom Caucus, the most conservative and extreme bloc of the Republican Party, is threatening to withhold funding and shut down the government if their demands are not met.
In exchange for their support for a CR designed to avert the shutdown Oct. 1, they demanded any funding bill include their preferred language on border security, include no additional aid to Ukraine, cut funding at the Department of Justice, and eliminate diversity and inclusivity programs at the Department of Defense.
They also demanded massive, across-the-board cuts beyond the numbers House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden agreed to as part of the debt ceiling deal earlier this year. These cuts would hurt the missions of the agencies at which AFGE members serve.
How does a shutdown work?
If Congress fails to pass funding by Sept. 30, the government will shut down. If employees are required to work during the shutdown, they are considered “excepted” employees.
Furloughed employees will be notified, but they may not receive advance written notice of a furlough. A written notice is usually provided as soon as possible after the furlough begins. At the Social Security Administration (SSA), for example, its Memorandum of Understanding with AFGE states that a reasonable effort will be made to provide the notice in advance, but it usually happens during the ½ day shutdown prep after the shutdown has happened.
Employees who are required to work will also receive a notice that says they need to work during the shutdown.
We need to stop the shutdown
You can also visit afge.org/ShutdownCall and urge your members of Congress to pass funding and stop the shutdown.
Who will be furloughed?
The Office of Management and Budget maintains agency contingency plans during a shutdown. A few examples of furlough plans:
The Social Security Administration plans to furlough 8,500 employees who will be locked out of work without pay. More than 52,500 will be required to work without pay.
At the Department of Defense, about 199,000 civilians of 805,000 will be required to work without pay. About 166,000 will continue to work and get paid as they are not paid through annual appropriations. The rest – about 440,000 civilians– will be locked out of work without pay.
NASA is expected to furlough 17,000 employees without pay while 1,300 will be required to work without pay.
Who won’t get paid? What about other benefits?
Up to 4 million military and civilian employees will be affected if Congress shuts down the government. About 2.2 million are federal employees. The rest are active-duty military and reservists.
According to the White House, all active-duty military personnel and most civilian employees will either be locked out of work without pay or required to work without pay. Those who are required to work but won’t get paid are those deemed “essential” like troops, law enforcement officers, and TSA officers.
Some employees will still get paid if:
Back pay
Employees furloughed or required to work without pay during the shutdown will automatically be granted back pay once funding is restored, thanks to a 2019 law AFGE supported following the 35-day shutdown.
Unemployment benefits
Furloughed employees are eligible to apply for unemployment benefits, but they will be required to pay back the benefits when they receive retroactive pay. Read OPM’s guideline on unemployment benefits here. Check out your state’s eligibility requirements here.
During the last shutdown, OPM worked with Maryland, Virginia, and DC to allow furloughed employees to file for unemployment without having to look for work to qualify for unemployment benefits.
Employees required to work without pay during the shutdown are not eligible to apply for unemployment benefits.
Healthcare
Healthcare coverage continues during the shutdown. Premiums will accumulate, and employees have to pay for those accumulated premiums once their pay is restored.
Retirement
Retirees will still receive annuity payments during the shutdown. Current employees won’t be able to contribute into their Thrift Savings Plan until the government reopens.
For further information, read OPM’s shutdown furlough guidance here.
We need to stop the shutdown
AFGE has launched our shutdown page at afge.org/StopTheShutdown to provide facts, information, and actions members can take to help avoid a shutdown. The site includes talking points, a sample letter to the editor, sample media release, unemployment info, and other important information.
You can also visit afge.org/shutdown and urge your members of Congress to pass funding and stop the shutdown.
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