UPDATE October 2nd 9:30 a.m.

In an unexpected turn on Saturday, the federal government avoided a shutdown. Speaker Kevin McCarthy ignored threats from his far-right members and offered a relatively straightforward continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open for the start of the 2024 fiscal year, which began October 1.

The CR will keep the government open for another 45 days at current funding levels. The bill also included $16 billion for disaster relief.

After passing the House in the afternoon, the Senate passed the legislation in the evening. Both chambers passed the CR with broad, bipartisan support.

HOWEVER.

The underlying disagreements over funding levels have not been resolved. Instead, Congress has undertaken a maneuver to buy themselves more time. While both chambers will still have work to do to pass and negotiate a compromise for the 12 appropriations bills, there are several fundamental, non-appropriations items on their agenda to deal with in the next 45 days. 

  • The National Flood Insurance Program and the Federal Aviation Administration had their authorizations temporarily extended to later this year;
  • Congress is still debating sending more aid to Ukraine.

UPDATE September 28th 10:30 a.m.

To: Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts, Deans, Directors, Department Heads, and Managers

From: Government Relations Vice President Chris Simmons

The Duke Office of Government Relations (OGR) is closely monitoring the budget negotiations in Washington to determine the implications of a possible federal government shutdown on Duke and its activities. If such a shutdown takes place, it will begin at midnight on October 1, 2023.
 
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructs all federal agencies and congressional offices to prepare and periodically update contingency plans for internal use. The existing “OMB Agency Contingency Plans,” required by law to be updated every two years, are available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-for-agencies/agency-contingency-plans/
 
The OGR is working in close coordination with several key offices, including the Office for Research and Innovation and University Finance, to ensure updates are provided to the Duke community and contingencies are in place should a shutdown occur. We will continue to watch for further developments and communications from the federal agencies, but it is possible that official guidance will not become available until after the shutdown takes place. As information is received, we will share it through Duke Today, the Office of Government Relations blog and myRESEARCHpath. 
 
In the meantime, if you have meetings or events planned with federal officials either in Washington, D.C. or on campus during the next few weeks, it is recommended that alternative plans be considered before the close of business on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.
  
Following are two publications from OMB and the American Council on Education (ACE) regarding federal government shutdowns that might provide useful background.

Section 124 – Agency Operations in the Absence of Appropriations (OMB)

Government Shutdowns and Higher Education (ACE) 

Feel free to be in contact with our office should you have questions.

UPDATE: September 28th, 9:00 a.m.

As an impending federal government shutdown looms, Duke’s Office of Government Relations (OGR) is closely tracking legislative activity that will hopefully resolve the issue.

A government shutdown raises many questions and issues about the impact on how we continue to interact and work with the federal government on a variety of issues. Below are some resources that will be helpful if a shutdown occurs:

The White House’s List of Agency Contingency Plans:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-for-agencies/agency-contingency-plans/

From the American Council on Education:

https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Government-Shutdowns-and-Higher-Education.aspx

From Duke University on Research Projects:

https://myresearchpath.duke.edu/impact-federal-government-shutdown-academic-research

From the American Immigration Lawyers Association:

https://www.aila.org/advo-media/aila-practice-pointers-and-alerts/government-shuts-down

Please reconsider meetings scheduled with federal officials in the coming days and weeks as offices and individuals may have differing policies for engagement.

OGR will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates to the Duke community as further information becomes available.

Be sure to check back on this page as more communications and agency guidelines are made available