2:22A pedestrian crossing indication flashes, the US Capitol serving as a backdrop in Washington, DC, on October 1, 2025.Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) urged government workers across the federal apparatus — including those at the Departments of Labor, Justice, and Education — to craft automated email responses that condemned "Democrat Senators" for triggering the government closure, several sources verified with ABC News.
Alongside the formal declarations on government websites placing the blame on the "radical left" for the interruption in funding, out-of-office automated messages from the Department of Labor stated the following:
"Regrettably, Democrat Senators are obstructing the approval of H.R. 5371 in the Senate, which has brought about a lapse in government funding. Due to this funding shortfall, I am currently under furlough. I will address emails when governmental operations are restored," read the text of an email framework offered to Department of Labor employees affected by the furlough.
A pedestrian crossing indication flashes, the US Capitol serving as a backdrop in Washington, DC, on October 1, 2025.Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Department of Labor email text
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) supplied the following standard text to establish employees' automated out-of-office messages.
"Employees on Furlough: Thank you for reaching out. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 5371, an unobstructed continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are impeding the passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate, precipitating a shortfall in allocated funds. As a result of this funding gap, I am presently on furlough. I will attend to emails as soon as government activities are reinstated," the text stated.
A model for crucial federal employees, which the government terms "expected" employees, employed parallel terminology. Federal workers within the Departments of Justice and Education communicated to ABC News that they also procured messages with similar phrasing.
Excepted Employees: Thank you for getting in touch. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, an unobstructed continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are impeding the passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate, leading to a lapse in allocated funds. I am only authorized to perform work that, according to law, is permitted to be conducted during a funding lapse. Consequently, I might be unable to respond to your message presently. I will address your message as soon as funding is reestablished.
The method appears to vary among different agencies. Some federal entities did not circulate any guidance on out-of-office emails.
However, a number of furloughed workers at the Department of Education disclosed that their automatic out-of-office replies were automatically adjusted to imitate the language above – without their authorization.
"They altered our out-of-office message… [They] executed it after everyone had departed," one department of education employee informed ABC News. "[I'm] extremely annoyed," they remarked.
The employee added, "We, as tenured government personnel, must remain impartial when fulfilling our duties. This is completely unacceptable."
Several federal workers, including the education department staffer, voiced worries to ABC News that incorporating the messages into their email accounts would infringe upon the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from participating in political undertakings during their professional obligations.
The education department employee, angered by the message, emphasized that federal workers are expected to "serve every individual in this nation."
The employee continued, "That [automatic reply] message is what anybody requesting assistance from a government employee will encounter."
Similarly, upon emailing the White House press office recently, ABC News received an automated response that stated, "Due to staff deficiencies arising from the Democrat Shutdown, the standard continuous oversight of this press inbox might undergo delays… while you anticipate a response, please keep in mind this could have been averted had the Democrats approved the unobstructed Continuing Resolution to sustain government operations."
The education department's press office is also employing the nearly verbatim automatic reply that OMB had furnished to the Department of Labor. Nevertheless, some automatic responses from individual press officers within the agency indicated that due to a "lapse in appropriations," they would endeavor to respond if it qualifies as an "excepted activity."
Department of Education press office email text
"Thank you for reaching out to the press team. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 5371, an unobstructed continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are obstructing the approval of H.R. 5371 in the Senate, precipitating a lapse in government appropriations. Due to this shortfall in appropriations, we are presently on furlough. We will attend to emails once governmental functions are reinstated," the text conveyed.
Moreover, upon submitting a request for commentary at the State Department, an automatic message was dispatched to ABC News, asserting, "Thank you for your inquiry. Please be aware that responses might be postponed owing to the government closure instigated by congressional Democrats."
A State Department representative communicated to ABC News that some staffers who had been placed on furlough had similar messaging in their automated "out of office" responses, attributing the furlough to democrats.
Additionally, on its website, beneath a striking red banner, the State Department mentions that website updates will be restricted due to the "Democrat-led" shutdown, seemingly aligning with the messaging observed on websites across various agencies in Washington.
The partisan messaging is exceptionally unusual originating from the State Department, which has historically presented itself as a predominantly apolitical entity, staffed with career-based personnel who generally maintain a nonpartisan stance. Concurrently, numerous federal employees are anticipated to be dismissed as a consequence of the shutdown by the week’s end, as stated by administration representatives.
ABC News' Will Steakin played a role in this piece
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
