The federal government is poised to partially shut down at midnight, though the impact would be more limited than in past shutdowns.
Lawmakers are leaving Washington without passing funding for the Department of Homeland Security after Democrats pushed for immigration enforcement reforms as part of the spending bill.
Democrats are seeking new policies, including mandatory body camera use, adherence to standard warrant procedures and limits on mask-wearing by immigration agents. Republicans have not agreed to all of the proposals, leaving DHS funding in limbo.
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Other federal agencies have already been funded, meaning only agencies within DHS would be affected until Congress reaches an agreement.
DHS oversees numerous agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard.
According to testimony before a House subcommittee, thousands of DHS employees would be required to work without pay when the shutdown begins.
At the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 888 of its 2,341 employees would be required to work without pay, with activities limited to those considered essential to protecting life and property.
At the Secret Service, officials said about 6% of its more than 8,000 employees would be furloughed.
Roughly 95% of TSA employees, about 61,000 workers, are considered essential and would continue working without pay.
A shutdown lasting more than a few days would result in missed pay for approximately 56,000 active-duty, reserve and civilian Coast Guard personnel.
FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund has enough money to continue operating for the “foreseeable future,” according to the testimony. However, state reimbursements would be disrupted and many FEMA employees would be furloughed.
