How the Automation Works
Shutdown Tracker combines official operating-status and federal funding information to determine whether a shutdown or partial funding lapse is being reported.
Why Two Sources?
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management provides operating-status information for the Washington, DC area. That information can indicate whether federal offices are open or closed, but operating status alone does not necessarily identify every funding lapse.
Congress.gov provides information about federal legislation and appropriations. Combining the two sources provides additional context when only certain agencies or programs are affected.
Decision Logic
The tracker can evaluate the available information in a defined sequence.
OPM Reports a Shutdown
If the OPM status information contains language indicating a lapse in appropriations or government shutdown, the status can be treated as a full shutdown condition.
OPM Is Open but Funding Has Lapsed
If OPM reports normal operating status while appropriations information indicates that a particular agency remains unfunded, the situation can be treated as a partial shutdown.
Both Sources Show Normal Operations
When the operating-status source indicates normal operations and applicable funding information indicates that agencies are funded, the tracker can report normal government operations.
Source 01 — OPM Operating Status
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management provides a public JSON feed containing federal operating-status information for the Washington, DC area.
https://www.opm.gov/json/operatingstatus.json
Source 02 — Congress.gov API
Congress.gov provides machine-readable information about federal legislation. Appropriations legislation can be reviewed to determine whether applicable funding measures have been enacted.
https://api.congress.gov/
Additional Data
Additional congressional endpoints can provide bill summaries, related legislation, enacted-law information, committee activity, and Congressional Research Service material.