Governor prepares Alaska for potential government shutdown

As lawmakers in Washington D.C. continue to squabble amid a race to prevent otherwise, a government shutdown could take place at 12:01 am on October 1.

A shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass some type of funding legislation that is signed into law by the president. Lawmakers are supposed to pass 12 different spending bills to fund agencies across the government, but the process is time-consuming. They often resort to passing a temporary extension, called a continuing resolution or CR, to allow the government to keep operating.

This shutdown will take place if Congress is unable to pass a funding plan that the president signs into law. The Democratic-held Senate and Republican-controlled House are working on vastly different plans to avert a shutdown, while Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy works to win support from hard-right conservatives to keep the government open.

Meanwhile, many are bracing for a stoppage that could last weeks.

There are some government entities that will be exempt — Social Security checks, for example, will still go out — while other functions will be severely curtailed. Federal agencies will stop all actions deemed non-essential, and millions of federal employees ill be furloughed. Unlike previous government shutdowns which protected the military and border patrol pay, if the government shuts down this time, the military, which is deemed essential and have to remain on the job, will not be receiving pay.

Closer to home, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a statement in which he said that the state is prepared to minimize impacts to Alaskans.

He has instructed state executive branch departments to evaluate federal programs administered by the state and review potential impacts to Alaskans.

“Governor Dunleavy is committed to continuing essential government services funded by the federal government and administered by the State where it has the authority to do so. Alaska would seek reimbursement following a shutdown.”

Approximately 4,700 state executive branch positions are at least partially federally funded. Employees in these positions would see no disruption in their pay and will continue to report to work. A small number of federal employees work within state departments. Their status would be determined by the guidance from the federal agency that employs them.

The longest government shutdown happened between 2018 and 2019 when then-President Trump and congressional Democrats entered a standoff over his demand for funding for a border wall. Though only a partial government shutdown-because Congress had passed some appropriations bills to fund parts of the government-it lasted 35 days, through the 2018 holiday season.

Governor Dunleavy said that the State of Alaska is prepared to continue state-administered federally funded programs for that length of time. If a federal government shutdown were to continue beyond that timeframe, the State will reevaluate the situation if necessary, and prioritize programs that most directly impact the life, health, and safety of Alaskans.

The State of Alaska administers many programs on behalf of the federal government. Federal programs that are mandatory by law, authorized outside of the annual appropriations process and have existing carry-forward funds, or classified by the federal administration as "excepted" due to life, health and safety implications would continue to operate during a shutdown. These categories include programs such as Medicaid and federal air traffic control. Further guidance from the federal government on program impacts is expected in the coming days.

Although the federal government is not required by law to reimburse states for expenses incurred during a federal government shutdown, reimbursement has occurred following every previous shutdown.

The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development has developed a FAQ specifically to address Unemployment Insurance questions associated with the potential government furlough for federal employees. For more information, please visit www.labor.alaska.gov/unemployment/furlough-faq.html