The Federal Building is pictured above in Oak Ridge on Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The U.S. Department of Energy is not affected by the partial government shutdown that started at midnight, and DOE employees and contractors, including in Oak Ridge, are expected to continue their normal work schedules.
”The partial government shutdown does not impact Department of Energy facilities,” federal officials said in a statement. “DOE’s fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill was approved by Congress and signed by the president in September. DOE employees and contractors are expected to continue to report to work according to their usual work schedule.”
Among the DOE sites and operations in Oak Ridge are East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Office, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Office of Scientific and Technical Information, and Y-12 National Security Complex. Y-12 is overseen by the National Nuclear Security Administration, a DOE agency.
The lapse in appropriations at 12:01 a.m. Saturday affects 25 percent of the federal government, according to the House Appropriations Committee. That includes funding for the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, State, Transportation, and Treasury. Also affected are the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the federal judiciary, and other related government programs.
The New York Times reported that the partial shutdown will not affect core governmental functions like the Postal Service, the U.S. military, Department of Veterans Affairs, and entitlement programs, including Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and food stamps.
But about 380,000 workers at nine of 15 cabinet-level departments will be sent home and will not be paid for the time off, the New York Times reported. Another 420,000 deemed too essential to be furloughed will be forced to work without pay, the newspaper said. After past shutdowns, such workers have been reimbursed later.
See this previous story for more information.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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