WASHINGTON IS HOURS AWAY FROM ANOTHER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, WITH PROSPECTS LOOKING BLEAK FOR A LAST-MINUTE COMPROMISE IN CONGRESS TO AVOID CLOSURES BEGINNING AT 12:01 A.M. ON WEDNESDAY.

 

A LOT OF GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE DURING A SHUTDOWN.

 

FBI INVESTIGATORS, CIA OFFICERS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AND AGENTS OPERATING AIRPORT CHECKPOINTS WOULD KEEP WORKING.

 

SO WOULD MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

 

BUT THEY WOULDN'T GET PAID UNTIL A LAPSE IN FEDERAL FUNDING ENDED.

 

MOST OPERATIONS CONCERNING VETERAN’S AFFAIRS WOULD ALSO CONTINUE, SUCH AS HEALTHCARE AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITS.

 

HOWEVER, OTHER AGENCIES WILL BE MORE DIRECTLY AFFECTED.

 

SOME AGENCIES HAVE RECENTLY UPDATED SHUTDOWN PLANS ON THEIR WEBSITES; OTHERS STILL HAVE PLANS THAT WERE LAST UPDATED MONTHS OR YEARS AGO.

 

HERE’S WHAT SOME OF THOSE PLANS SAY:

 

THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WILL FURLOUGH AROUND 41% OF ITS STAFF – NEARLY, 80,000 EMPLOYEES.

 

THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION WILL CONTINUE MONITORING FOR DISEASE OUTBREAKS, BUT CDC COMMUNICATIONS TO THE PUBLIC WILL BE HAMPERED AND THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH WILL NOT ADMIT NEW PATIENTS TO THE CLINICAL CENTER, EXCEPT THOSE FOR WHOM IT'S MEDICALLY NECESSARY. 

 

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WILL FURLOUGH NEARLY 1,500 EMPLOYEES, EXCLUDING FEDERAL STUDENT AID WORKERS.

 

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICES WILL CLOSE ALL PARKS WITH FACILITIES OR AREAS INACCESSIBLE DURING NONBUSINESS HOURS.

 

AT PARKS WHERE IT'S IMPRACTICAL OR IMPOSSIBLE TO RESTRICT PUBLIC ACCESS, STAFFING WILL VARY BY PARK.

 

IN A PROVOCATIVE MOVE, THE WHITE HOUSE'S OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET HAS THREATENED THE MASS FIRING OF FEDERAL WORKERS IF A SHUTDOWN OCCURS.

 

THAT'D BE A MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE STEP THAN IN PREVIOUS SHUTDOWNS, WHEN FURLOUGHED FEDERAL WORKERS RETURNED TO THEIR JOBS ONCE CONGRESS APPROVED GOVERNMENT SPENDING.