Image by scubamaxsta
Update: Congress again averted a potential government by passing another Continuing Resolution, this time using a two-step approach developed by House Chair Johnson. Congress will now have until January 19, 2024 and February 2, 2024 to pass twelve appropriation bills that make up the Fiscal Year budget.
If Congress fails to reach an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget by this Friday, November 17, portions of the federal government will shutdown indefinitely. The duration could be days, weeks, or longer. While some aspects of the federal government will be unaffected, many agencies and programs that we rely on for clean water, ocean protection, coastal management, pollution prevention, disaster recovery response, and safe outdoor recreation will be forced to close until a budget agreement is reached.
Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown last month by passing a 45-day Continuing Resolution, also referred to as a stop gap funding bill, to buy more time for them to agree upon and finalize the complete budget. With the House proposing extremely harmful provisions and budget cuts, and a large divide between House and Senate appropriation packages, Congress will need to move quickly to meet the November 17 deadline.
In the event of a government shutdown, notable ocean, coastal and outdoor recreation impacts we can expect include:
- Suspension of EPA Clean Water and Public Health Programs. Closures within the EPA would halt inspections of industry and hazardous waste sites, pause clean up efforts at superfund sites, delay wastewater permitting, and prevent enforcement of polluters. Overall it will reduce the ability of the EPA to carry out the Clean Water Act to protect our nation's drinking water, waterways and the safety of water recreation.
- National Park Closures. A government shutdown could result in an indefinite pause on National Park enforcement, search and rescue operations, facilities management, and waste services. Ahead of the potential shutdown last month, Department of Interior announced: “[a]t NPS sites across the country, gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed. Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety.” During the Trump Administration, a 35-day government shutdown resulted in disaster for our National Parks and protected areas, where a lack of enforcement and services resulted in careless visitors destroying and trampling fragile ecosystems, cultural sites and park facilities.
- National Marine Sanctuaries and Protected Area Closures. NOAA's Office of Marine Sanctuaries, tasked with managing marine protected areas and sanctuaries, will likely be shut down and unable to operate and protect these important environments.
- Postponed Rule Makings Including the Phase Out Plastics. Progress on important federal rules toward single use plastic phase outs by the Department of Interior and General Services Administration could be halted and result in delayed rulemaking and/or implementation.
- Delayed Disaster Recovery Projects and Reduced Community Preparedness. After multiple disaster-heavy years, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, which supports immediate life saving response efforts as well as long term recovery projects, is almost out of funds. Nearly 2000 recovery projects are slated to be delayed or completely halted during the shutdown, while many people will remain at risk and potentially without support after potential storms, fires, or other disasters to come. This is very concerning considering an active hurricane season is underway.
- Limited Coastal Management and Sea Level Rise Planning. In previous shutdowns, NOAA suspended its national estuaries, coastal resilience, marine debris, and Sea Grant programs. These programs not only protect beaches, rocky shores and wildlife, they also help communities plan for sea level rise and extreme weather events.
- Delayed Review and Reward of Coastal Resilience Projects. Review of applications to NOAA coastal resilience programs, representing hundreds of millions of dollars in potential coastal resilience projects, will likely be delayed as agency staff are furloughed.
Additionally, U.S. residents have been advised to expect:
- Air travel delays, as air traffic controllers and TSA will be asked to work without pay
- Passport office closures
- Loss of access to low-income support programs including Head Start and WIC
- And more…
The Surfrider Foundation will continue to put pressure on House and Senate leadership to work collaboratively to develop and pass an FY24 Appropriations package that protects funding for our ocean and coasts. Add your voice to the cause and use this link to encourage our federal leaders to pass a budget bill that protects our ocean, coasts, wildlife, and communities!
In the meantime, please consider reducing your impact on our federal lands and waters by limiting your use of single use plastics (as always!), pack it and pack it out when it comes to visiting beaches and other outdoor recreation areas, and respect access closures in order to protect natural and cultural resources, and wildlife habitat.