The Department of Homeland Security has released its plans for a potential shutdown of the agency after Congress failed Friday to pass a stopgap bill to keep it funded for three weeks.
In a 46-page document, the department outlines what functions would be maintained in the event of a shutdown, including counter-terrorism watches, TSA checks, and Secret Service protections. Workers who perform those jobs would be required to work but would not be paid until Congress acts.
Of about 225,000 on-board employees, about 194,000 will be required to work despite the funding lapse.
Those who are not exempt - and thus subject to furlough -- include employees who work in research and development, auditing and training jobs. Those workers will have four hours on the first day of the funding lapse to prepare for the shutdown, doing tasks like securing classified materials.
If Congress does not act before 11:59pm ET, the department will run out of funds.
Lawmakers are scrambling to find a way to keep the agency funded, with House Republicans meeting behind closed doors in search of a way to break an intraparty impasse. Republicans are divided about what strategy to pursue - with some conservatives insisting on using the funding deadline to push a rollback of the president's executive action on immigration. And Democrats, who want DHS to be fully funded for a year and oppose the GOP's immigration demands, are not joining with House leaders to help pass a bill.
- Carrie Dann
First published February 27 2015, 4:56 PM
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1AD1lAb
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