FCC plans to stay open for a week in the event of a shutdown

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Friday it plans to stay open for a week if the government shuts down at the end of the day.

“In the event of a partial government shutdown, because of available funding, the Federal Communications Commission plans to remain open and pay staff at least through the close of business on Friday, January 26,” FCC spokesman Brian Hart said in a statement.

If Congress does not pass a spending bill by the end of the day on Friday, the government will shut down at midnight.

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According to a shutdown plan released last month, the FCC had planned on retaining about 227 of its 1,492 employees in the event that the government runs out of funding. Friday’s announcement means that they can hold off on that contingency for a week.

The FCC is scheduled to hold a monthly open meeting on Jan. 30, during which commissioners will vote on updating the country’s Wireless Emergency Alert system. At this point, it’s unclear if that meeting will be postponed.

Among the employees who would be retained in the FCC’s contingency plan are emergency personnel, the five commissioners and 185 workers whose salary doesn’t come from annual appropriations.