One often-used gauge for predicting a government shutdown is the pay schedule for federal workers. This potential partial shutdown is expected to impact six governmental areas, accounting for 78 percent of federal spending. It is set to start at 12:00:01 a.m. on Saturday, January 31st.
Here’s the catch: a “spending blunder” could happen over the weekend. Lawmakers are trying to avoid this. The Senate has sent a $174 billion spending package to President Trump just as funding for the Department of Homeland Security becomes a concern, bringing the threat of a shutdown closer.
Technically speaking, there’s an “appropriation lapse,” which gives some leeway for lawmakers to find a solution before 9 a.m. on Monday, February 2nd, when most federal workers head back to the office. Another important indicator is when federal employees find themselves behind on paychecks. The last payday was January 21, slightly delayed due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The next checks are due on February 2nd, covering work until February 5th and will be processed that day.
However, it seems workers will still get part of their paychecks for the last day of government funding on Friday, January 30th. Still, this won’t violate any laws since these checks will be sent on February 2nd. Funds for expenses after January 31st would be illegal, as outlined in the Deficiency Prevention Act, which prevents the executive branch from spending unappropriated funds. So, I guess the weekend could allow lawmakers some time to navigate this mess.
The next payday falls on Tuesday, February 17th, which is actually a day later than normal because Monday is President’s Day. This gives Congress and the executive branch almost three weeks to sort things out before federal workers might miss their full pay.
But, there are some quirks in this situation. For instance, the FAA, which includes air traffic controllers, will have salary payments made on February 3rd. These employees are expected to receive full pay because their pay period ended before the shutdown deadline. Hence, this payment doesn’t break any laws. However, the next pay period for FAA employees will end on February 7th, with checks going out on February 17th, meaning that some paychecks will only reflect work done before the shutdown.
If this situation drags on, lawmakers will definitely pay close attention to the calendar. A minor “partial” closure might actually give them some breathing room toward a resolution.
