WASHINGTON -- Much More than a third associated with federal workers would be advised in order to st...

1. Government Shutdown Looms, Forcing Agencies To Draw Up
Plans For Furloughs
WASHINGTON -- Much More than a third associated with federal workers would be advised in order
to stay home in the wedding the government shuts down, forcing the particular closure of national
parks through California to be able to Maine and also all the Smithsonian museums. Low-t-
-moderate earnings borrowers as well as first-time homebuyers seeking government-backed
mortgages could face delays.
These could be just a quantity of the outcomes of your government shutdown which could furlough
as many as 800,000 with the nation's 2.1 million federal workers. The idea could hit as early as
Tuesday if your bitterly divided Congress fails to approve a temporary paying bill for you to keep
your government running.
Supervisors at government departments began conferences Thursday for you to decide which
employees would still record to work as well as which in turn will be considered nonessential as well
as told to stay house below contingency plans ordered through the office regarding Management
along with Budget, or even OMB.
Details concerning shutdown plans regarding every agency were expected being posted on the OMB
along with individual agency web sites by simply Friday afternoon, in accordance with union officials
briefed on the process. Formal furlough notices will be sent on Tuesday, the beginning involving the
new fiscal year.
"Fifty % of our own members may end up being locked unemployed altogether in your program of
this shutdown," said J. David Cox Sr., president of the American Federation regarding Government
Employees. "Half will be expected to end up being able to still work with out the paycheck."
Employees who're deemed important as well as keep operating will not be paid during the
shutdown. When Congress will approve new funding, these people would receive retroactive pay.
Not most government would cease to end up being able to operate. Solutions considered critical for
you to national security, safety and health would carry on as usual, like border patrol, law
enforcement and also emergency and disaster assistance. Social Safety and also Medicare rewards
would keep coming, with regard to example, however there likely could be delays throughout
processing new disability applications.
Active-duty military personnel tend to be exempt from furloughs, as are employees in the U.S. Postal
Service, which doesn't depend on annual appropriations through Congress.
Union officials said preparations to obtain a possible shutdown have created anxiety and uncertainty
amongst federal workers and also amongst those that have an expectation associated with
government services.
"Federal agencies have needed to devote some period and sources to develop but another crisis
plan, distracting agencies through their particular critical missions," stated Colleen Kelley, president
in the National Treasury Employees Union. "And, in the wedding the government shuts down, the

2. public will be further harmed through the loss regarding vital services individuals need as well as
rely upon."
The last shutdown, which happened during the Clinton administration, lasted three weeks, via Dec.
16, 1995, for you to Jan. 6, 1996.
At the actual Smithsonian, any majority in the 6,400 employees in 19 museums will be furloughed,
mentioned spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas. Museum doors would remain closed as associated with
ten a.m. Tuesday, ruining vacation plans regarding thousands of tourists expecting for you to start to
determine the National Air and space Museum or perhaps view artwork at among the particular
museum's galleries.
The National Park Support ended up being expected to end up being able to announce your certain
impact of a shutdown on Friday. The contingency plan prepared within 2011 - the final moment a
new shutdown loomed - mentioned all 401 of the country's national parks would shut and cease
activities except for anyone necessary to reply for you to emergencies.
Federal courts program to assist keep operations going with regard to no much less than 10
company days within the event of your shutdown - roughly via Oct. 15 - using service fees and other
funds. Yet after that, just important work would continue, and also each court would know what staff
will be needed, in accordance with a new Sept. 24 memo through U.S. District Judge John Bates,
director in the Administrative office with the United States Involving America Courts.
Federal jury trials ought to carry on as necessary, the memo said, and staff executing important
work at federal courts would report to work with out receiving paid. These People will be
compensated when appropriations had been restored.
Most in the Department associated with Housing along with Urban Development's operations would
cease below your shutdown, in accordance with Jereon Brown, the HUD spokesman. Which means
many low-to-moderate earnings borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-backed
mortgages could face delays. The Particular Federal Housing Administration, which can easily be
overseen by simply HUD, defintely won't be able to underwrite or even approve just about any new
loans throughout the shutdown, Brown said.
The Environmental Protection Agency would essentially become closed in order to the vast majority
of its approximately 17,000 employees, except for anyone associated with shutting down systems,
tasked with emergency cleanups or even carrying out legal are employed in ongoing federal cases,
mentioned John O'Grady, president of the local union associated with EPA employees within
Chicago.
NASA is still operating on shutdown plans, but the agency doesn't possess a launch scheduled until
Nov. 6, spokesman Bob Jacobs said. Practically just about all but a few hundred with the room
agency's 18,000 employees could be furloughed below a contingency program layed out within 2011.
In past shutdown threats, the actual area agency considered essential the actual operations with the
International Area Station, where astronauts and also cosmonauts live, as well as planned to become
able to carry on supporting the mission if the government had shuttered, Jacobs said.
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Associated Press writers Frederic J. Frommer, Matthew Daly, Seth Borenstein, Andrew Miga along

3. with Deb Riechmann contributed to always be able to this report.