Around 25 percent of the US Government remains closed after attempts to resolve a dispute over the federal budget were abandoned on Thursday (December 27), CNN reports. The impasse, which forced science agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency to begin partially shutting down operations last week (December 22), is now likely to drag into 2019.
"I deeply regret that we face these challenges at any time--and especially at this time of year," wrote FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a letter to staff last week (December 20) and obtained by MedTech Dive, when the likelihood of a shutdown became clear. "I remain optimistic that Congress will work quickly to maintain the government's funding so we may continue to carry out all of the activities that support our important mission."
The rest of the article can be found on The Scientist.