Possible Shutdown Will Impact Federal Agency Operations
As Washington inches closer to a possible Federal government shutdown on September 30, ACMA members should be aware that agencies significantly limit activities during any funding lapse. The Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released detailed plans for operations in such an event.
According to its Shutdown Plan, DOE will not award grants, contracts, and comparative agreements unless necessary for the direct support of specific excepted activities. DOT will continue operations related to civilian air travel and certain certification processes. Activities directly funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act supplemental appropriations will continue. However, DOT would pause certain facility and personnel security inspections, as well as forward looking activities such as operations planning and capital planning for FAA facilities and equipment. DOT will not publish aviation rulemaking, financial operations, controls, reporting, audit and evaluation, legal assistance, and all media outreach.
Unless necessary for excepted activities, EPA would discontinue the issuance of new grants and agreements similar to the DOE. EPA law enforcement and criminal investigations and emergency and disaster assistance would continue. EPA will also stop the issuance of permits, guidance, regulations, and policy, any research and publication of that research, approvals of pending state requests, civil inspections, and all previous communication activities.
We encourage members to be aware of possible changes to relevant agency activities and prepare accordingly as the possibility of a shutdown in September remains high.
Please contact Dan Neumann for more information.