A partial shutdown of the federal government began at midnight on Oct. 1, 2013, following the failure of the House and Senate to reach agreement on a continuing resolution (CR) (H. J. Res. 59) that would have kept the government operational into FY2014. To date, Congress has yet to clear any of the FY2014 spending bills. The House introduced several resolutions to provide “stopgap” funding for various departments, agencies, programs, and the District of Columbia. The Senate has indicated that it will not consider the resolutions opting for a comprehensive resolution for FY2014 funding.
The next hurdle comes Oct. 17 when the U.S. is expected to reach its debt limit. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has indicated that he will not allow the nation to default on its debt but it is not clear at this time what the final agreement will include.
Both PHEP and HPP awardees can continue normal operations as current funding is FY2013 monies. A minimal number of federal staff will be available to provide routine administrative support services.
