Pentagon readies contingency plans for presidency shutdown

WASHINGTON — With lower than two days left earlier than the US authorities probably shuts down, the Division of Protection has issued contingency steering to the drive outlining six priorities and contracting plans.

“Actions which might be decided to not be excepted, and which can’t be carried out by using army personnel rather than furloughed civilian personnel, will likely be suspended when appropriated funds are not obtainable,” the doc mentioned. The secretary of protection “could, at any time, decide that further actions shall be handled as excepted,” it added.

Fiscal 2025 is sunsetting when the clock strikes midnight Wednesday. Congress has not but accredited FY26 spending payments, and Democrats and Republicans haven’t reached an settlement on a seamless decision to maintain the federal government open. If a stopgap measure will not be accredited by each chambers and signed by President Donald Trump, the federal authorities will shut down.

For DoD, that implies that army personnel on energetic responsibility — together with reserve element personnel on federal energetic responsibility — will proceed reporting for responsibility and could also be requested to hold out non-excepted actions usually carried out by civilian personnel which were furloughed.

“Civilian personnel, together with army technicians, who are usually not needed to hold out or assist excepted actions, are to be furloughed utilizing lapse in appropriations (also known as ‘shutdown’) procedures and steering supplied by the Workplace of Personnel Administration,” the Pentagon steering mentioned. “Solely the minimal variety of civilian workers needed to hold out excepted actions will likely be excepted from furlough.”

The division’s “highest priorities,” in keeping with the steering, will revolve round operations securing the US Southern border, operations within the Center East, designing Golden Dome, depot upkeep, shipbuilding and significant munitions.

“As in each case, efforts supporting these actions could happen throughout a lapse when resourced with funds that stay obtainable,” the planning steering mentioned.

“The place prices for such efforts should be charged in opposition to a lapsed appropriation, Part and subordinate leaders will carefully consider particular person actions to find out whether or not they’re ‘excepted’ in step with this planning steering and proceed or provoke them, as acceptable, when supported by the details,” the doc later added. 

In the case of work on big-ticket weapons packages, contractors are capable of proceed engaged on beforehand awarded offers. Nonetheless, the division will not be allowed to execute new contracts.

“The expiration of an appropriation doesn’t require the termination of contracts (or issuance of cease work orders) funded by that appropriation until a brand new obligation of funds is required beneath the contract and the contract will not be required to assist an excepted exercise,” the steering continues.