How Contractors Are Bracing for a Federal Government Shutdown

Government Contracts attorney Robert Tompkins was quoted in Federal Times article exploring the implications of a government shutdown for federal contractors. The contracting community is currently preparing for a shutdown, and even though this is not the first one it has experienced, uncertainty about what to expect remains. Mr. Tompkins explained that contractors have two options in the event of a shutdown: discontinue work, or continue work, knowing that they may not be paid for it. He also commented on other factors that may influence this decision.

"Generally, if there's not funding to allow the work to carry forward, the contractor either has to stop working or be at risk of not getting paid if they continue," he said. "Antideficiency Act considerations feed into the risk analysis and are really part of what drives the contractor being at risk because the [law] says that government contracting officers cannot requisition work that they don't have funds to pay for, essentially."

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