As the federal government shutdown continues into its second week, both sides appear to be holding firm with no clear resolution in sight. While the House remained in recess, the Senate continued to hold votes on both parties’ plans to reopen the government but failed to reach the 60-vote threshold.
The National League of Cities (NLC) is working behind the scenes to support cities as they navigate the fallout. It continues to encourage an end to the stalemate and is calling for a stakeholder call with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and local government leaders to discuss community-level impacts.
Many federal agencies have leaned on carryover funds to continue operations, but those funds are likely to run dry by the end of the week, marking a new stage of the government shutdown. Permanent reductions in the federal workforce and eligibility for back pay are still in question.
The administration is considering a legal interpretation that could deny back pay to nearly 750,000 furloughed federal employees. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson is weighing whether to call his members back to pass emergency legislation to pay troops during the shutdown, though Senate Majority Leader John Thune has resisted targeted relief for specific groups.
GMA continues to advocate for cities during this uncertain period. Please contact our Federal Relations Manager, Molly McLoughlin, to share how the shutdown is affecting your community.