FBI agents will continue working if part of government shuts down

Posted at 1:25 pm December 21, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

FBI Knoxville on Dowell Springs Road is pictured above in August 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue working if there a partial government shutdown because of a lapse in funding starting at midnight, but they will work without pay.

There is a disagreement involving Congress, President Donald Trump, Republicans, and Democrats over whether to include $5 billion in funding for a wall on the border with Mexico in spending legislation for a number of federal departments. So far, the parties haven’t agreed on a bill that could pass the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and be signed by Trump.

If an agreement isn’t reached, funding will expire for nine federal departments and a number of agencies. The departments include the U.S. Department of Justice, which includes the FBI. The FBI field office in Knoxville covers Anderson, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union counties, among others.

On Friday, FBI Special Agent Jason Pack in the Knoxville Field Office said FBI operations are directed toward national security and violations of federal law, and they must be able to continue during a lapse in appropriations.

“As such, all FBI agents and support personnel in field offices are considered excepted from furlough,” Pack said. “At FBI headquarters, certain personnel will be designated as excepted from furlough to provide direction and investigative support to all field operations and select headquarters functions.”

Anyone who has information or would like to provide a tip will still be able to contact their local FBI field office or visit the tips website online at tips.fbi.gov, Pack said.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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