Venable partner John Cooney was featured in a March 2 National Journal article discussing how federal agencies should proceed in the event of a shutdown and the subsequent repercussions should one occur. The article cited the recently approved measure to continue government funding for another two weeks, while noting that a federal shutdown still remains a very real possibility.
The article cited Cooney's previous experience as deputy general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan administration, noting that he helped federal agencies prepare for a possible shutdown in the 80s, following the guidelines established by former Attorney General and Venable partner Ben Civiletti.
Cooney commented that one of the worst parts of a shutdown is that no one can predict when one might start or when it will end. "Negotiations tend to move along until there's a straw that breaks the camel's back," he said. "It's not even clear to the negotiators until the very end that they've reached an impasse."
He also noted that he suspects all federal agencies these days are having internal discussions about which of their responsibilities are critical and which employees will need to be on-duty to carry them out.
The article cited Cooney's previous experience as deputy general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan administration, noting that he helped federal agencies prepare for a possible shutdown in the 80s, following the guidelines established by former Attorney General and Venable partner Ben Civiletti.
Cooney commented that one of the worst parts of a shutdown is that no one can predict when one might start or when it will end. "Negotiations tend to move along until there's a straw that breaks the camel's back," he said. "It's not even clear to the negotiators until the very end that they've reached an impasse."
He also noted that he suspects all federal agencies these days are having internal discussions about which of their responsibilities are critical and which employees will need to be on-duty to carry them out.