April 05, 2011
Senate chiefs of staffs were briefed Tuesday afternoon on what happens to their offices if the government shuts down, a threat that looms at the end of this week.
The meeting focused on which staffers would be deemed “essential” and would be allowed to work in the event Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on how to fund the government by Friday’s deadline, sources said. Staffers helping members of Congress fulfill their constitutional duties would be allowed to work.
Those deemed “non-essential” must turn in their keys, badges and Blackberries, and could face criminal penalties for working during the shutdown.
One source familiar with the meeting described it as “chaotic,” since individual offices will have broad flexibility in determining which staffers considered essential and non-essential.