NWC News Alert (October 1, 2025)

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LATEST ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Oct. 1, 2025

Congressional Activity

• Senate: Continuing floor votes on nominations and the House-passed continuing resolution. Republican leaders believe repeated votes could bring more Democrats to their side. On Tuesday, three members of the Democratic caucus voted for the GOP bill: John Fetterman (Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), and Angus King (Maine, Independent). Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) opposed the measure. The Senate will recess for Yom Kippur on Thursday but plans to resume votes later in the week.
• House: In recess until next week. Democrats attempted to force a vote during a pro forma session yesterday but were blocked. Speaker Mike Johnson has announced the chamber will reconvene next week.
• Committees: Some committees, such as Senate Environment and Public Works and Judiciary, plan to continue hearings and markups. Others are postponing sessions, including an Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on public lands and wildfire bills due to agency witnesses being unavailable. Staff furloughs are also affecting committee capacity.

Congressional Operations During the Shutdown

General Rules

• Congress is funded through the Legislative Branch appropriations bill, which lapses during a shutdown.
• Each Member office and committee determines which staff are “excepted” and which are furloughed.
• Furloughed staff cannot answer phones, emails, or conduct legislative work until recalled. Essential staff continue operations, but at reduced capacity.
• Furloughed staff will receive retroactive pay once the government reopens.

What this means for you

 Congressional Staff

• Some staff in Member and committee offices are designated “excepted” and will continue working, but many will be furloughed.
• Phones may not always be answered. Some offices will leave essential staff on the phones; others may use voicemail.
• Casework is likely to be slowed or paused not only because many congressional caseworkers fall into non-excepted roles, but also because the federal agencies they work with have furloughed large portions of their staff. Even if Hill staff remain available, they may not be able to move constituent cases forward until agency operations resume.
• Legislative aides may be furloughed, reducing capacity for policy conversations. Essential staff generally cover floor activity and urgent constituent issues.

Committee Staff

• Hearings and markups may still occur, other hearings have already been postponed when administration (federal government) witnesses are unavailable.
• Committees will have reduced staff capacity. Some professional staff are excepted, but others are furloughed until appropriations are restored.
• Policy development, bill drafting, and oversight work outside of “constitutional duties” may slow significantly.

Resources

• Legislative Operations During a Lapse in Appropriations (Committee on House Administration)
• Senate Rules and Administration Committee: Guidance During a Lapse in Appropriations (Punchbowl News)

Status of Federal Agency Operations

Department of Transportation (including MARAD)

• DOT contingency plan keeps safety-critical operations active. FAA controllers continue working, although thousands of other employees are furloughed. MARAD functions that rely on no-year funding, including maritime safety and academy operations, continue at reduced levels. DOT Shutdown Plan is here.

U.S. Coast Guard (Covered under the Department of Homeland Security’s DHS Procedures for a Lapse in Appropriations (March 2025))

• Active duty personnel continue missions essential to national security and maritime safety. Civilian support staff face furloughs. Non-essential administrative activities pause.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Headquarters issued operations orders outlining shutdown phases. Life and property protection activities (dam safety, flood risk management, and emergency operations) continue. Recreation areas are generally closed. Most project planning, permitting, and administrative work is suspended. USACE expects to furlough 1,119 of its 36,610 employees.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (Covered under the Department of Homeland Security’s DHS Procedures for a Lapse in Appropriations (March 2025))

• Disaster response and recovery for declared emergencies continue. Many preparedness, mitigation, and grant activities pause. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has lapsed, meaning no new policies or renewals can be issued during the shutdown. Claims on existing policies can continue with available funds.

Environmental Protection Agency

• Under EPA’s Contingency Plan, nearly 90 percent of staff furloughed. Emergency environmental response, safe drinking water testing, and Superfund site activities that prevent threats to health and property continue. Permitting, most inspections, enforcement actions, and research publications are paused. EPA’s lapse page is here.

Fish and Wildlife Service (Under Department of Interior Contingency Plan)

• Under FWS Contingency Plan, essential operations continue for public safety, protection of property, and law enforcement. This includes wildlife law enforcement, firefighting, and management of endangered species where life or habitat could be immediately at risk. Most refuge visitor services, education programs, and grant activities are suspended. Scientific research, habitat restoration, and many conservation planning functions pause until funding is restored.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA)

• Under the NOAA Contingency Plan, activities critical to life, property, and seafood safety continue, including hurricane and weather forecasting. Many fisheries management and research activities pause. Permitting is delayed until funding resumes.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (Under Department of Interior Contingency Plan)

• USGS continues activities that are necessary to protect life and property, such as earthquake and volcano monitoring, streamgage operations for flood forecasting, and certain emergency response functions. Most research, data collection, and analysis that are not tied directly to public safety are suspended. Publications, long-term studies, and cooperative agreements with states and universities are paused until appropriations resume.

What to Watch

• Duration: Short lapses create manageable backlogs. Prolonged shutdowns create compounding impacts on permitting, contracting, and disaster relief.
• Legal actions: Labor unions have already filed lawsuits against administrative directives for agencies to potentially prepare Reduction in Force plans. Court rulings may influence how agencies act during the lapse.
• Constituent services: Expect increased inquiries about permits, grants, and project approvals. Congressional staff capacity is limited, with many aides furloughed.
• Legislative momentum: Shutdowns disrupt ongoing negotiations, including permitting reform, and slow committee work that depends on federal agency participation.