U.S. government shutdown: What's open and what's closed

NASA, Smithsonian, EPA reduced to small core staffs

CBC News

Oct. 8, 2013

The partial U.S. government shutdown forced roughly 800,000 federal workers off the clock on Oct. 1. Agencies including the Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security streamlined their services, although some workers have since returned.

Others, such as the Department of Commerce and the Smithsonian, have shut their doors to all but the most essential workers. The chart below shows how the shutdown affects different agencies, detailing the number of employees furloughed as well as the services that remain in operation.

Status legend:

Effectively closed/more than 85 per cent of workers on furlough

Partially open

Open or mostly open

Status		Furloughed employees	Percentage furloughed	Total employees	Notes
	Department of Commerce	40,234	87%	46,420	Most research activities at NIST and NOAA will not operate. Also many government statistical functions from agencies like the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis will not be available.

	Department of Defense	Few	n/a	800,000	Military personnel on active duty will continue to report and perform their duties. President Barack Obama signed an exemption order on Sept. 30 that assures they will continue to receive their pay. Roughly 50 per cent of the civilian personnel, about 400,000, were furloughed, but most were recalled by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Oct. 6.

	Department of Education	3,972	94%	4,225	Schools remain open since state and local governments have primary responsibility for education. Among the few employees remaining at the federal department would be those administering federal grants and student loans.

	Department of Energy	9,595	69%	13,814	Workers with a function "related to the safety of human life and the protection of property" will stay on the job. In addition, about 3,000 workers are funded through sources other than direct appropriations.

	Environmental Protection Agency	15,136	93%	16,205	Workers with a function "related to the safety of human life and the protection of property" will stay on the job. In addition, 294 workers are funded through sources other than direct appropriations.

	Department of Health and Human Services	40,512	52%	78,198	Essential services will continue for the department's various agencies, including Medicare administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.

	Department of Homeland Security	31,295	14%	231,117	Key security programs such as border screening will continue to operate. Other areas, like federal law-enforcement training and administration of non-disaster grants by the Fededal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be closed.

	Department of the Interior	58,765	81%	72,562	National Parks and National Wildlife Refuge Systems are closed to visitors. Non-emergency or research work at other agencies like the Bureau of Land Management will be stopped.

	Department of Justice	17,742	15%	114,486	Exemptions from the furlough include: FBI agents and support staff, Drug Enforcement Administration field organization staf, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, federal prisons staff and commissioners of the U.S. Parole Commission.

	Department of Labor	13,350	82%	16,304	Only some units within the Employee Benefits Security Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration will remain in operation.

	National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)	17,701	97%	18,250	Only staff responsible for "protection of life and property" will continue to work.

	National Science Foundation	1,970	99%	2,000	Only 30 employees on the Antarctic and Arctic programs will continue to work.

	Peace Corps	627	58%	1,055	Overseas personnel with the Peace Corps will wait two weeks before starting to wind down operations.

	The Smithsonian	3,514	83%	4,202	Smithsonian museums and research centres will be closed. The only exemptions are security staff as well as personnel who provide care for animals at the National Zoo.

	The State Department	n/a	n/a	n/a	The State Department will stay open for a limited time. The Bureau of Consular Affairs will continue to issue passports and visas, though some offices located in federal buildings may be forced to shut their doors. Overseas embassies and consulates will stay open.

	The Supreme Court	n/a	n/a	n/a	The country's highest court will continue to conduct its normal operations at least through Oct. 4. The Court building will remain open to the public during its usual hours.

	Department of Transportation	18,841	33%	55,468	Federal air-traffic controllers will be expected to continue to work while other employees who work at the Federal Aviation Administration will be furloughed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Transit Administration will furlough the bulk of their staffs.

	United States Postal Service	n/a	n/a	n/a	Mail delivery will continue to American homes and businesses since the postal service doesn't receive its budget from annual Congress appropriations and is therefore exempt from the shutdown.

	Department of Veterans Affairs	14,224	5%	332,025	Employees who will be furloughed include employees who work for the Veteran Benefits Administration, IT workers, and the National Cemetery Administration.

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U.S. government shutdown: What's open and what's closed

NASA, Smithsonian, EPA reduced to small core staffs

Oct. 8, 2013

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