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EXPERTS ADVISORY
Researchers at the University of Michigan are ready to impart their expertise regarding a federal government closure by Tuesday evening, unless lawmakers resolve the deadlock and reach an agreement prior to that time.
Stephanie Leiser serves as a lecturer at the Ford School of Public Policy and heads the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy.
“The broader context is that federal, state, and local budgets are closely connected through numerous programs; therefore, decisions made at the federal level have a significant influence on state and local administrations,” she remarked. “Typically, states derive about 30%-40% of their income from the federal government, with local governments frequently even more dependent on transfers from both state and federal entities.
“While everyone is anticipating how the political situation will unfold and who will benefit or lose the most, we must also bear in mind that this uncertainty is already inflicting costs through postponed investments/spending, increased borrowing rates, and depletion of reserves. Everyone is dedicating their energy to devising scenarios and fretting about the upcoming weeks and months rather than strategizing for the future.”
Contact: [email protected]
Donald Moynihan holds the title of J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy and is co-director of the Better Government Lab, which seeks technological and other interventions to assist governments in enhancing access to the social safety net.
“Government shutdowns disrupt economic activity, while also undermining the government’s long-term abilities to carry out its essential duties,” he stated. “Shutdowns are harmful under the best circumstances. Given the recent months of staff reductions and upheaval, a shutdown now would be even more detrimental than usual.
“The potential to terminate federal employees due to politicians’ inability to approve a budget is unprecedented and will further diminish the capacity of the federal government to serve its citizens.”
Contact: [email protected]
Emily Toth Martin is an epidemiology professor at the School of Public Health and co-director of the Michigan Center for Respiratory Virus Research and Response. Additionally, she leads the Michigan Public Health Integrated Center for Outbreak Analytics and Modeling, a nationwide network funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that tracks and predicts infectious disease outbreaks to enhance public health and health care preparedness.
“The CDC and NIH personnel maintain regular communication with researchers and state and local health officers to monitor emerging and evolving infectious diseases,” she explained. “Disrupting those discussions now, particularly as we approach a cold and flu season with the possibility of new influenza strains, will constrain the information that individuals and their healthcare providers need to safeguard families from infections and attend to the ill. Managing funding unpredictability like this shutdown stretches the capabilities of an already burdened public health system.”
Contact: [email protected]
Jennifer Garner is the John G. Searle Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the School of Public Health. Her research investigates federal nutrition initiatives, food security, and the implications of food policies on maternal and child health. She emphasizes enhancing the formulation and execution of policies and programs that foster cooperation among the public, private, and charitable sectors for broader public health effects.
“A federal government shutdown has both concrete and abstract repercussions. Concrete repercussions include the imminent risk that discretionary and contract-based initiatives, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children, may face resource shortfalls and service delays,” she noted. “Considering the financial interconnections between federal organizations and state, local, and nonprofit administered programs, the cascading effects of such interruptions are more extensive than many realize.
“Furthermore, such a shutdown is likely to erode overall trust in government and intensify the existing political strife, both of which complicate the ability of political entities to act in the best interests of our democracy and safeguard the American populace through bipartisan efforts. For instance, the resentment that arises during shutdown-related negotiations might extend and influence other forthcoming discussions, such as those regarding the overdue negotiation of a new farm bill.”
Contact:
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[email protected]
Christopher Friese holds the Elizabeth Tone Hosmer Chair of Nursing at the School of Nursing and is a professor of health management and policy at the School of Public Health. His expertise encompasses the healthcare workforce and emergency readiness.
“The federal government’s contingency strategy for the Department of Health and Human Services presents hurdles for nurses and healthcare provision,” he remarked. “Funding to educational institutions and local as well as state authorities will come to an end. This poses risks to local health departments and various health organizations that rely on grants from HHS. Furthermore, HHS representatives aim to stop new admissions to the NIH clinical center, the globe’s largest biomedical research establishment, barring emergencies. This will postpone the availability of innovative therapies for Americans suffering from some of the most challenging illnesses to manage.
“Additional potential repercussions are hidden further within each agency’s strategy. For instance, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s contingency plan indicates that responses to federal emergencies will be ‘slow to mobilize.’ That’s not very reassuring as the country enters hurricane season. Moreover, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will not engage with inquiries from Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
Contact: [email protected]
The Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan is offering guidance to faculty, researchers, and staff should a shutdown occur. Guidelines on how to manage situations that may arise if funding stops are available at: research.umich.edu/government-shutdown
According to this office, which partners with both internal and external stakeholders to ignite, support, and protect research and scholarship throughout the university in service to global needs:
“A federal government shutdown can impact university research activities, though the effects on U-M research and creative endeavors will mainly depend on the duration of the shutdown and the guidance provided by the relevant federal bodies … Faculty engaged in federally funded projects that are already in progress are not anticipated to face significant challenges during a shutdown. Nonetheless, federal agencies will be unable to issue new grants or contracts, or renew existing initiatives, during a shutdown. Additionally, agencies will not be able to offer support during such a period. Consequently, government personnel at these agencies will be unavailable to take calls, respond to emails, or update informational resources.”
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