Tens of thousands of federal workers both in Indiana and around the country could be furloughed days before the holidays if congressional leaders don’t find a solution to avert a looming government shutdown.
A bipartisan agreement that would’ve funded the government into March died Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump ordered Republicans to oppose it, causing lawmakers to scramble Thursday and find a solution before Congress adjourns.
The bill is more than 1,500 pages long and includes a variety of add-ons. Those include more than $100 billion for disaster relief for states hit by hurricanes, health care measures to lower drug costs and pay raises for members of Congress, USA TODAY reported.
Current government funding expires Friday night when Congress is scheduled to adjourn for the holidays. If a funding bill is not passed by then, the shutdown would begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
▶ LIVE UPDATES:Government shutdown looming? Republicans say they’re ‘making progress’
According to data from the U.S. Census and U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Indiana has 23,785 federal civilian employees. They have an average salary of $88,750.
The federal government has shuttered 21 times since 1977, most recently in 2018.
It varies. Of all the shutdowns, the longest took place the last time Donald Trump was president, which lasted 35 days and cost the economy about $3 billion. The average number of days among all shutdowns since 1977 is eight.
Shut down:Timeline of more than 20 U.S. government shutdowns over nearly 50 years
No. During a shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers, those deemed nonessential, are furloughed, or sent home without pay.
Employees who are classified as essential for critical operations in defense, energy, agriculture, and other sectors would continue to work, but without pay. They are reimbursed later.
Last year, thousands of park rangers were expected to be furloughed ahead of a potential government shutdown in September. The National Park Service said then it would close the majority of national parks and leave visitors with limited resources.
Ahead of the deadline, Indiana Dunes National Park tourism staff said its visitor center at the park is owned by Porter County government and would remain open. The Indiana Dunes State Park, which is not operated by the federal government, said then it would also remain open during a shutdown.
The U.S. Postal Service would be unaffected during a government shutdown because it does not depend on Congress for funding. Last year, an online statement posted in September 2023 by USPS said their “operations will not be interrupted in the event of a government shutdown, and all Post Offices will remain open for business as usual.”
2023 government shutdown:How the last government shutdown impacted Indiana housing programs, national parks
IndyStar reporter Brittany Carloni and USA TODAY reporter Saman Shafiq contributed to this story.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
