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# Government, FDA Shutdown Appearing More Likely
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/government-fda-shutdown-appearing-more-likely/
- Published: 2023-09-22T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T18:57:56.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5155397

It is appearing more likely that the federal government, including FDA, will face a 10/1 shutdown due to a Congressional impasse to approve an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024 or a continuing resolution to continue government operations in the short term until a legislative solution is reached.

The Alliance for a Stronger FDA [says](https://strengthenfda.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=564aaf3ba56647cf536ecb9b0&id=94df557660&e=122703d8fb&ref=fdaweb.com) that during any “lapse period, there are limited activities in which the agency can operate.” It says the “activities that the agency can perform include: (**1**) activities necessary to address imminent threats to the safety of human life and (**2**) activities funded by advanced and carryover funds, notably but not exclusively, user fees.”

No new user fees are accepted during a lapse period and FDA can only undertake user fee activities paid from the prior year’s carryover funds, the Alliance says. The group believes that there is sufficient carryover balances to continue user fee-related activities for quite some time, but if the shutdown is prolonged then this would present a problem and user fee staff could face furloughs. During the last shutdown, about 41% (7,053) of employees were furloughed. However, the current HHS plan for a shutdown projects FDA furloughs of about 19% (3,658) of employees.

Additionally, the Alliance noted that during the last shutdown (2018-2019) most agency Web sites were not updated, and some portals that were operational were affected by FDA personnel who routinely responded to inquiries not being available. “This might have a greater impact on FDA today than it would have four years ago,” the group says.