OMB tells agencies to prepare for possible shutdown

In the unlikely event that any agency leaders had forgotten that funding runs out on Sept. 30, a new memo from Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell offers a reminder -- and urges them to update their contingency plans.

The Sept. 17 memo, carrying the subject line of "Planning for Agency Operations during a Potential Lapse in Appropriations," notes that there is still time for Congress to provide funding for Oct. 1 and beyond.  "However," Burwell writes, "prudent management requires that agencies be prepared for the possibility of a lapse."

The memo refers agency leaders to the relevant legal guidelines for determining what functions are critical enough to continue during a shutdown. An attached FAQ covers questions on contracts and vendor payments, basic IT operations, employee travel and the keys to an "orderly shutdown."

Agency leaders with unanswered questions are instructed to contact Joseph Jordan, OMB's administrator for federal procurement policy, or OMB General Counsel Geovette Washington, OMB's General Counsel.