Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is circulating procedures for how the Department of Homeland Security will operate in the event of a midnight shutdown.
The 46-page document outlines what is exempt from the shutdown, including airport security checkpoints, Secret Service activities and border patrols. But employees involved in planning, auditing, training and other policy functions would be furloughed.
Employees who keep working during a shutdown would not be paid until Congress approves additional funding.
Hours before the midnight deadline, the Republican-controlled House unexpectedly rejected short-term funding for DHS. The vote's failure increases the prospect of a partial shutdown of an agency with major anti-terrorism responsibilities.
The administration guidance says the government will wait until the last minute to notify employees of furloughs and that workers will be allotted four hours to ramp down their activities.
Employees put on furlough will be prohibited from using their government-issued mobile devices, other than to read and respond to notices about their furlough status, according to the guidance.
___
Online:
Homeland Security Department's shutdown plan: http://1.usa.gov/187g4rF
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
