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WASHINGTON - The first federal government shutdown in seven years has left hundreds of thousands of workers furloughed and members of the public struggling to understand what’s open, what’s closed and what might be delayed.
States Newsroom’s Washington, D.C. Bureau scoured agency plans published by the Trump administration and the courts, and produced this guide to help you understand what’s going on: Agriculture Department The USDA plans to furlough about half, 42,300, of its nearly 86,000 employees, though workers at several programs for farm communities and rural areas will keep working without pay.
Operations will continue on some farm loans, certain natural resource and conservation programs, essential food safety operations related to public health and wildland firefighting activities. Agriculture Department employees working on animal and plant health emergency programs — including African swine fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza, exotic fruit flies, new world screwworm and rabies — are exempt from furloughs.
But dozens of USDA programs addressing everything from disaster assistance processing to trade negotiations to long-term research on animal diseases will cease until Congress reaches a funding deal.
Employees working on those programs will be furloughed until the government is once again funded, but both working and non-working federal employees in all agencies are required to receive back pay under the law.
Agencies housed within the USDA have varying levels of furloughs. The Food and Nutrition Service, Oce of the Inspector General and Natural Resources Conservation Service are among those with higher numbers of furloughed workers.
Commerce Department
The Department of Commerce will retain just over 19% of its nearly 43,000 employees during the shutdown, and most will have to stay on without pay, as outlined in its government funding lapse plan. The department oversees a wide range of federal government activities - weather forecasting, issuing patents and trademarks, regulating fisheries, enforcing export laws, managing government-owned and -controlled spectrum frequencies, and collecting demographics and other population data.
Notably, the department houses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and will continue providing "weather, water and climate observations, prediction, forecasting, warning and related support." But research activities will stop.
The U.S. Census Bureau, also part of the department, will cease most operations, including providing monthly economic indicators and updated data about disaster-impacted areas. Certain preparations for the 2030 Census will stop, and data collection for the American Community Survey.
Funding outside of annual appropriations may keep some U.S. Patent and Trademark Oce units open, but the timelines will be variable. When funding runs out, the oce will continue "a bare minimum set of activities necessary to protect against the actual loss of intellectual property (IP) rights.”
Defense Department
The Defense Department’s contingency plan calls for the nearly 2.1 million military personnel to keep working as normal and says 406,500 of its roughly 741,000 civilian employees will work without pay, while the others will be furloughed.
The plan says the Defense Department believes operations to secure the U.S. southern border, Middle East operations, Golden Dome for America defense system, depot maintenance, shipbuilding and critical munitions are the “highest priorities”.
Medical and dental services, including private sector care under the TRICARE health care program, would largely continue at the Defense Department.
Education Department
The Department of Education said it would furlough roughly 95% of employees outside its federal student aid unit.
The agency will continue disbursing Federal Direct Loans as well as Pell Grants, which help low-income students.
Borrowers still have to make payments for their student loan debt in the shutdown.
Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, grant funding would continue to be available as usual, according to the department. Title I provides funding for low-income school districts, while IDEA guarantees a free public education for students with disabilities.
But the agency is ceasing several operations, including any new grantmaking activities.
Energy Department
The Energy Department will furlough a little over 8,100 of its 13,800 federal workers nearly 60% of its workforce.
The National Nuclear Security Administration would continue maintenance and safeguarding of nuclear weapons.
