PSC Offers Guidance to Mitigate Effects of a Government Shutdown

Arlington, Va. (Sept. 23, 2019) — The Professional Services Council (PSC) provided detailed recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on steps to mitigate the negative consequences of a government shutdown from a lapse in appropriations. 

“The work of the federal government is vital to all walks of American life, and contractors play key roles in every agency. Our recommendations would provide significant benefits for federal agencies and the citizens and taxpayers they serve. The recommendations would also make it possible for contractors to keep their valued workforce and stay in business,” PSC President and CEO David Berteau said in reference to PSC’s Sept. 10 letter to OMB. 

In addition to this recent letter, PSC sent a white paper to OMB last October with specific contract language on which work could continue in the event of a lapse in appropriations. An update to that white paper was included in PSC’s Sept. 10 letter and includes lessons learned from last winter’s 35-day partial government shutdown.

“Regrettably, those October 2018 recommendations were not implemented before the last shutdown,” Berteau stated. “No one knows when the next shutdown may happen, so now is the time to implement our recommendations, while memories are fresh and before any future lapse in funding.”

In addition to recommendations for the federal government, PSC offers assistance and insight on how federal contractors can best prepare for a potential shutdown. View our Government Shutdown Resource Center with information including official government guidance documents by federal agency. Watch PSC’s January 2019 webinar on contractor operations during a shutdown. Read PSC’s testimony from a May 6 Congressional hearing on shutdown impacts and view a related summary of hearing actions. 
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Media Contact: 
Ashlei Stevens
Director, Media Relations
703.875.8974 | stevens@pscouncil.org 


About PSC: PSC is the voice of the government technology and professional services industry. PSC’s more than 400 member companies represent small, medium and large businesses that provide federal agencies with services of all kinds, including information technology, engineering, logistics, facilities management, operations and maintenance, consulting, international development, scientific, social, environmental services, and more. Together, the trade association’s members employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states. Follow PSC on Twitter @PSCSpeaks. To learn more, visit www.pscouncil.org.