Resources to Assist Tribal Nations During a Government Shutdown - October 2025
USET SPF is quickly compiling information that will provide assistance and resources to Tribal Nations during a government shutdown. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.
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What is a government shutdown?
Many federal government agencies and programs rely on annual funding appropriations passed by Congress. Every year, Congress must pass, and the President must sign, budget legislation for the next fiscal year, consisting of 12 appropriations bills, one for each Appropriations subcommittee. Congress has not yet enacted any of the 12 bills for FY 2026 that make up the discretionary spending budget; without those bills or a continuing resolution, the federal government must shut down. In a “shutdown,” federal agencies must discontinue all non-essential discretionary functions until new funding legislation is passed and signed into law. Essential services continue to function, as do mandatory spending programs.
- Excerpt from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget's Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know (September 22, 2025)
Indian Country Food Resources
The Intertribal Agriculture Council is maintaining a Tribal Producer and Food Resources Directory.
The majority of Indian Health Service operations will continue in the event of a government shutdown thanks to the FY26 advance appropriation for the agency enacted as a part of FY25 appropriations.
Shutdown contingency plans - October 2025
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
- Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)
- Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense (DOD)
- Department of Education (ED)
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Department of Labor
- Department of the Interior (DOI)
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of Transportation (DOT)
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Indian Health Service (IHS)
- Institute of AIAN Culture and Arts Development
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
- Udall Foundation
Resources
- Office of Management and Budget - memo re: Reduction in Force Actions Affected by Continuing Appropriations Act - November 13, 2025
- Congressional Native American Caucus letter to Administration re: RIFs - November 6, 2025
- Inter-Tribal Org Letter re: Protecting the CDFI Fund and NACA Program from Termination and Staffing Cuts - October 17, 2025
- Inter-Tribal Organization Letter re: Protecting Indian Ed Staff at Department of Education - October 16, 2025
- Senate Committee on Indian Affairs - Government Shutdown Advisory for Native Communities - October 2, 2025
- IHS - DTLL re: current status of FY26 appropriations for IHS - October 1, 2025
- Office of Management and Budget - memo to federal agencies re: plans for shutdown - September 2025
- USET - Federal Budget Process Animated Video - USET explains the Federal Budget Process
- Congressional Research Service - Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects - December 2018
Articles
- Brookings - The government shutdown shows the need to reform how the federal government funds Native American Tribes and communities - October 28
- US Congress - Merkley, Pingree Press EPA & Interior Ahead of Proposed RIFs - October 17
- United States Courts - Judiciary Funding Runs Out; Only Limited Operations to Continue - October 17
- E&E News/Politico - Interior planning layoffs despite court order, unions say - October 16
- AP - Judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration from firing workers during the government shutdown - October 15
- CNBC - Trump admin federal job cuts likely to be ‘north of 10,000,’ Vought says - October 15
- Government Executive - As White House promises more federal layoffs, Democrats say ‘we’ll see them in court’ - October 14
- Axios - Scoop: White House memo says furloughed federal workers aren't entitled to back pay - October 7
- Politico - It’s official: White House orders federal agencies to shut down - September 30
- Reuters - Government shutdown nears with no deal in Washington - September 30
- Roll Call - Layoffs to hit beleaguered CDC if there’s a shutdown - September 30
- Notus - Officials Working on Mass Firing Plans Deemed Essential During a Shutdown - September 29
- Politico - White House to agencies: Prepare mass firing plans for a potential shutdown - September 24
- Reuters - As US government shutdown nears, Trump administration mum on contingency plans - September 23
- Federal News Network - There’s no clear path to avoid a government shutdown - September 22
- PBS News Hour - Stopgap measures to avoid government shutdown fail in Senate - September 19
- Edward Jones - Government Shutdowns and the Markets - Three Things to Know - September 27, 2023