White House tells agencies to prepare for shutdown

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is telling agencies to prepare for a lapse in federal funding ahead of a possible government shutdown as Congress attempts to pass a two-year budget deal.

“The Office of Management and Budget is currently preparing for a lapse in appropriations,” an agency official said Thursday night, according to Reuters.

“As we stated earlier today, we support the Bipartisan Budget Act and urge Congress to send it to the President’s desk without delay.”

OMB Official: “The Office of Management and Budget is currently preparing for a lapse in appropriations. As we stated earlier today, we support the Bipartisan Budget Act and urge Congress to send it to the President’s desk without delay.”

— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) February 8, 2018

The House and Senate were set to vote Thursday on a two-year budget deal before midnight to avoid another government shutdown, but Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) put forward a last-minute roadblock, delaying a Senate vote on the funding bill.

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OMB spokesman John Czwartacki said that “agencies are now being urged to review and prepare for lapse” in spending after midnight, according to The Washington Post.

The OMB is tasked with implementing the president’s budget and managing funding priorities for executive agencies. 

OMB Director Mick Mulvaney oversaw an “orderly shutdown” of government agencies last month when the government shut down for three days, working to keep the departments open as long as possible with the remaining funding.