White House budget office tells federal agencies to execute plans to shut down government

WASHINGTON – The White House’s budget office says it’s notifying federal agencies that the government will shut down Tuesday.

Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said late Monday in a memorandum to agency heads that there was no indication Congress would approve a short-term funding measure before the midnight deadline. She said federal agencies should execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.

Burwell said the Obama administration urged Congress to move quickly so critical government services could be restored. She said a shutdown affects hundreds of thousands of workers who will be sent home and inconveniences millions who rely on federal services.

She said some critical functions, like the military and air traffic control, would remain open.