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On First Weekday Of Shutdown, Federal Workers Had To Sort Out Whether To Go To Work

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

So the federal government is expected to return to normal operations tomorrow morning. Even though this was the third day of a partial shutdown, it was the first working day for most federal employees. And it was not exactly a break, as NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: Washington was a bit off of its routine today. Some federal workers went into their jobs so they could be formally told to go home. Others got to stay but weren't sure if they'd be paid for their efforts. In offices around the capital city, there were recordings telling callers the agency they reached was closed for business.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: There is a temporary shutdown of the U.S. government due to a lapse in appropriation. We will return to normal operations as soon as possible.

NAYLOR: It's unclear what, if any, damage was caused by this short shutdown. Eighty-five percent of the federal workforce is outside Washington. Government Twitter feeds weren't updated. The Washington Post reported some snowmobilers got too close to Old Faithful because there were no rangers to shoo them away. But apparently no harm was done to the geyser. For most federal workers, the biggest concern now is that this whole scene could be replayed in three weeks when this latest temporary budget bill expires. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR News' Brian Naylor is a correspondent on the Washington Desk. In this role, he covers politics and federal agencies.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.