Government Shutdown Guide, Contractor Relief & Remedies Under FAR

     On February 13, 2026, funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lapsed and all non-essential components were paused.  DHS' shutdown came on the heels of a brief four-day government-wide shutdown that ended earlier in the month, on February 3.  Short though that shutdown may have been, only three months earlier - on November 12, 2025 - the Federal Government ended a forty-three-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.

     Whether these back-to-back-to-back Federal Government shutdowns signal a new normal for Federal Government and agency appropriations remains to be seen.  Regardless, enduring three Government shutdowns in less than six months, Federal Government contractors may take away at least one vital lesson - namely, the importance of always being prepared for any Government action or inaction that might stop contract performance dead in its tracks.  One key step toward that preparedness is having a familiarity with the rules under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) that may apply to Federal Government shutdowns. 

     Indeed, the existing rules under FAR do provide at least some limited relief that can be applied to mitigate a few of the adverse impacts of Government shutdowns, including recovery of addition costs caused by performance interruptions and the right to seek delivery deadline extensions.  However, whether a Government contractor can avail itself of any of these remedies will depend on which FAR clauses are inserted into its contract.

     In our Government Shutdown Guide, Contractor Relief & Remedies Under FAR,  we briefly outline the kinds of relief and remedies under FAR that may apply when Government shutdowns occur, the notices that contractors may have to provide to avail themselves of those protections, and the deadlines that may apply to contractor claims and requests.

     To download a copy of our Guide, click on the image below.