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By Mary Jo Hoeksema, Director, PAA Government and Public Affairs

On January 10, the 2019 partial federal government shutdown entered its 20th day, making it the second longest government shutdown in history. Without a clear end in sight, the population research community maybe wondering how this shutdown is affecting federal agencies and programs important to the field. Here is a quick summary of how some surveys, agencies, and programs supporting the population sciences are being affected:

Census Bureau

As part of the Fiscal Year 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill, which funds the Census Bureau, Congress provided the Census Bureau with over $1 billion to spend in FY 2019 in the event a final, full-year spending bill was not enacted. Currently, the Bureau is using that money to support decennial census activities. Census stakeholders estimate this funding will be exhausted by the end of January. Other sources are more optimistic believing that by delaying or “slow walking” its spending, the Bureau could extend its support for 2020 Census activities through the middle of February.

In addition to sustaining core 2020 Census activities, the Bureau is also working on reimbursable surveys, such as the Current Population Survey and National Health Interview Survey, whose sponsoring agencies are fully funded and not affected by the partial shutdown.

Unfortunately, the Bureau does not have funds to support the American Community Survey, Economic Census, or Survey of Income and Program Participation. The Census Bureau website is accessible during the shutdown, but not being updated.

National Science Foundation

NSF is still accepting applications online during the shutdown. However, its program officers are furloughed, which means these applications are not being reviewed or approved. No NSF-supported workshops or conferences may occur during the shutdown. The NSF website is accessible during the shutdown, but not being updated.

Executive Office of the President

Other casualties of the partial government shutdown include the White House Office of Science and Technology, whose newly confirmed director, Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, cannot report to work. Staff at the White House Office of Management and Budget are furloughed, which could delay the release of the Administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget—an important first step in the annual appropriations process.

Fortunately, the Fiscal Year 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill, which funds the National Institutes of Health, National Center of Health Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, and Bureau of Labor Statistics, was enacted in September 2018. As a result, these agencies are not affected directly by the current partial shutdown.

The longer the shutdown lingers, the more detrimental its effects become. PAA is monitoring the ongoing negotiations and joining forces with its coalition partners to communicate the urgency of reopening the federal government. PAA will activate its members if the partial government shutdown is not resolved before the end of the month.

If you have any questions or concerns or have examples of how the shutdown is adversely affecting your research, colleagues, or students, please feel free to contact me at maryjo@popassoc.org. You may also share your stories and concerns via Twitter, #ScienceShutdown.