The federal workforce is bracing for the possibility of a government shutdown, as House lawmakers scramble to avoid a funding lapse over the holidays.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday that agencies have notified their employees whether or not they will keep working during a shutdown.

“There’s still time for Congress to prevent a partial shutdown. We believe that. But in the interest of prudent planning — we want to be prudent here — agencies did start notifying their employees of their potential furlough today at noon,” Jean-Pierre said.

An OMB official said in a statement Friday that it is “preparing for any contingency.”

“OMB is working with agencies as they review relevant legal requirements and update their plans for executing an orderly lapse in appropriations should the need arise,” OMB said.

The Partnership for Public Service warned that a government shutdown could “affect the public in particularly acute ways as the holidays approach.”

National parks and museums would close, and food safety inspections would slow or halt. A prolonged shutdown could also lead to long lines at airport security checkpoints and flight delays.

A prolonged shutdown would also mean many federal workers and military personnel wouldn’t receive a paycheck for the duration of the shutdown.

“Government shutdowns are destructive. They waste enormous amounts of taxpayer dollars, result in lapses in public services, delay the delivery of vital grants and prevent agencies from fulfilling their missions,” Max Stier, the partnership’s president and CEO, said in a statement Thursday.

Federal employees receive backpay once a government shutdown ends, but the employees of government contractors don’t have the same guarantee.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union, raised concerns about the looming threat of a government shutdown.

“A government shutdown would deliver a devastating blow to hardworking federal employees and the millions of citizens who rely on essential government services,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement Thursday.

“These patriotic civil servants are the backbone of our nation—they inspect our food, protect our borders, ensure safe travel during the holidays, and provide relief to disaster victims. Over 642,000 of them are veterans of our armed services. Allowing them to go without a paycheck over the holidays is unacceptable,” Kelley added.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) told reporters Thursday afternoon that the looming threat of a government shutdown has already pulled some federal employees away from their day-to-day jobs to prepare for a funding lapse.

“People stop doing their normal jobs and start going through a checklist of how you shut this part down and that part down, and who’s going to be deemed essential personnel that can still come in without getting paid, but still come in. So, you are already wasting money,” Warner said.

Warner said a government shutdown would have downstream effects on the American public — especially those traveling during the holiday season.

“Many of you may say, ‘Well, why do I really care about whether the federal government shuts down?’ If you’re going to get on an airplane any time after Friday and go visit a loved one, you’ve got to realize your TSA employees are not getting paid. Your air traffic controllers are not getting paid. Some of them may call in sick. You’re going to have a level of chaos at our airports that I fear could be unprecedented,” Warner said.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske posted on X (formerly Twitter) that 59,000 of the agency’s 62,000 employees are considered essential, and would keep working during a government shutdown.

Pekoske wrote that TSA expects to screen 40 million passengers over the holidays and through Jan. 2, 2025.

“While our personnel are prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure safe travel, please be aware that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports,” Pekoske wrote.

Meanwhile, House Republicans are working on their third legislative proposal to keep the federal government funded and open.

The House failed to pass a continuing resolution backed by President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday. The bill would have extended the nation’s debt limit through Jan. 30, 2027.

Trump rejected a bipartisan stopgap deal on Wednesday that would have also included more than $100 billion in disaster aid to states, as well as other year-end add-ons.

GOP lawmakers met Friday afternoon to discuss legislative options, but it remains unclear what specific bill the House would vote on — and when.

“We will not have a government shutdown,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters following the meeting.

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