2025 U.S. Government Shutdown: Agency-by-Agency Contingency Plan Breakdown
As the 2025 U.S. government shutdown looms, federal agencies have released contingency plans outlining how they will operate if Congress fails to pass funding by October 1, 2025. These plans provide critical details about which employees will be furloughed, which essential functions will continue, and how core services like Social Security, national defense, law enforcement, and healthcare will be affected.
Unlike prior shutdowns, this year’s preparations carry unprecedented implications. Agencies have been instructed not only to prepare for temporary furloughs but also to develop Reduction in Force (RIF) plans, raising the possibility of permanent job cuts in programs deemed inconsistent with presidential priorities.
In this post, we provide a clear agency-by-agency breakdown of these contingency plans so you can quickly understand how each department will be impacted.
If you want a specific agency’s shutdown contingency plan in detail, please reach out to our team.
Why This Shutdown Is Different
Previous government shutdowns were largely temporary disruptions, with furloughed employees returning once funding was restored. The 2025 shutdown scenario is different for three main reasons:
Permanent Layoff Risks (RIFs): Agencies have been directed to prepare plans that may cut jobs permanently rather than just pausing them.
Decentralized Planning: Contingency plans are hosted on individual agency websites instead of being centralized at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Political Targeting: Layoffs and funding cuts may disproportionately affect programs that do not align with current presidential priorities.
Essential Services That Continue During a Shutdown
Even in the event of a full shutdown, certain critical government functions never stop. These include:
Social Security and Medicare payments
Military operations and active-duty personnel
Law enforcement and public safety functions (e.g., FBI, DHS, Secret Service)
Air traffic control and TSA airport security
Emergency services and disaster response
Immigration enforcement
Essential healthcare services
What This Blog Covers
In the sections below, you’ll find a detailed snapshot of each federal agency’s contingency plan. For each department, we summarize:
Total employees and expected furloughs
Time required to complete shutdown activities
How many staff remain on duty and under which legal authority
Which functions will continue
Which services will cease
This breakdown makes it easy to see at a glance how the shutdown may affect you, your family, and/or your business.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Total Employees: 271,927
Furloughed: 14,184
Retained: 257,743
44,466 (funded by non-annual appropriations)
43,053 (expressly authorized by law)
154 (implied by law)
183 (Presidential constitutional duties)
169,887 (protection of life and property)
Shutdown Completion Time: 5 days
Functions Continuing:
Law enforcement (drug interdiction, irregular migration management)
Passenger and cargo inspection at ports of entry
U.S. Secret Service protective functions
Counter-terrorism intelligence and dissemination
Disaster Relief Fund operations
Fee-funded activities (e.g., USCIS Immigration Examinations Fee Account)
Functions Ceasing:
Strategic planning and R&D
Most policy, administrative, auditing, and training functions
Regulatory and legislative activities unless excepted
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Total Employees: 15,166
Shutdown Completion Time: 0.5 days (4 hours)
Retained Staff:
828 (non-annual appropriations)
24 (authorized by law)
284 (implied by law)
1 (Presidential duties)
597 (protection of life and property)
Functions Continuing:
Protection of land, buildings, labs, animals, and ongoing experiments
Law enforcement and criminal investigations
Emergency/disaster assistance
Superfund site work if threats to human life exist
IT system support (mission-critical and enterprise infrastructure)
Legal counseling, litigation, and law enforcement
Limited payments to contractors and grantees if needed to preserve funded functions
Planning for FY2027 President’s Budget
Functions Ceasing:
New grants and interagency agreements
Payroll beyond last covered pay period for non-exempt staff
EPA website updates (except shutdown-related)
Research and publications not tied to exempt/excepted activities
Most civil enforcement inspections and permitting activities
Department of War (Formerly DoD)
Total Employees: 741,477 civilians; 2,067,700 military continue on active duty
Shutdown Completion Time: 0.5 days
Retained Staff (civilians):
182,684 (non-annual appropriations)
223,889 (protection of life and property)
Functions Continuing:
National defense and worldwide military operations
Activities funded by prior appropriations (e.g., Pub. L. 119-21)
Safety-of-life and property functions
Functions Ceasing:
All activities chargeable to lapsed appropriations not otherwise excepted
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Total Employees: 74,299 (adjusted for DRP)
Shutdown Completion Time: Up to 0.5 days (not expected to be used)
Retained Staff:
All 74,299 exempt (funded under Inflation Reduction Act through 2031)
Functions Continuing:
All IRS operations continue normally under IRA funding
Functions Ceasing:
None expected during initial 5 business days
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Total Employees: 51,825
Shutdown Completion Time: 0.5 days
Retained Staff:
149 (non-annual appropriations)
1 (authorized by law)
45,251 (implied by law)
228 (protection of life and property)
Functions Continuing:
Timely and accurate payment of benefits (Social Security, SSI, Medicare-related)
Applications, appeals, and adjudication processes
Critical IT systems support
Fraud prevention operations
Functions Ceasing:
Benefit verifications
Non-critical earnings record corrections
FOIA responses, public inquiries, PR, training
Replacement Medicare cards
Overpayment processing
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Total Employees: 18,218
Shutdown Completion Time: 0.5 days
Retained Staff:
130 (non-annual appropriations)
164 (implied by law)
2,830 (protection of life and property)
Functions Continuing:
International Space Station operations
Essential satellite operations
Artemis program development and operations (safety-critical)
Activities preventing damage to property (hardware tests, facilities)
Functions Ceasing:
Educational outreach and NASA TV/web operations
Public access to NASA facilities
Most research and development unless aligned with presidential priorities
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Total Employees: 461,499
Shutdown Completion Time: Not specified (ongoing functions heavily funded)
Retained Staff: 446,628
Furloughed Staff: 14,874
Functions Continuing:
Veterans’ compensation, pension, education, housing benefits
Full continuation of medical services
Functions Ceasing:
Limited administrative and support functions not tied to benefits or healthcare
Agencies Without Current September 2025 Plans
The following major agencies have not yet published updated contingency plans for the potential September 30, 2025 shutdown:
Department of Energy - No current plan published
Department of Interior - No current plan published, though preparing for significant layoffs
Department of State - No current plan published
Department of Transportation - Previous plans from March 2025
Department of Commerce - Previous plans available but not update
Department of Housing and Urban Development - No current plan published
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