WASHINGTON – Hundreds of thousands of federal workers began shutting downoperations on Monday with the U.S. government closed and the Senateprepared to try again to restore funding, if only temporarily, and resolvea dispute over immigration.
As government employees prepared for the first weekday since the shutdownbegan at midnight Friday, U.S. senators were to vote at midday on a fundingbill to get the lights back on in Washington and across the governmentuntil early February.
Support for the bill was uncertain, after Republicans and Democrats spentall day on Sunday trying to strike a deal, only to go home for the nightshort of an agreement.
Federal employees received notices on Saturday about whether they wereexempt from the shutdown, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said.Depending on their schedules, some were told to stay home or to go to workfor up to four hours on Monday to shut their operation, then go home. Nonewill get paid.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said late Sunday that an overnightvote on a measure to fund government operations through Feb. 8 was canceledand would be held at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT) on Monday.
Up until Monday, most federal workers were not directly affected by theshutdown that began at midnight on Friday.
The federal Office of Personnel Management said on its website on Sundaynight that “federal government operations vary by agency.”
The Department of Defense published a memo on its website detailing whodoes and does not get paid in a shutdown and saying that civilian employeeswere on temporary leave, except for those needed to support active-dutytroops.
The Department of Interior led by Secretary Ryan Zinke, offered no guidanceon its website, which still had a “Happy Holidays from the Zinke Family”video near the top of the site. The department oversees national parks andfederal lands.
The State Department website said: “At this time, scheduled passport andvisa services in the United States and at our posts overseas will continueduring the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits.”