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Americans working for government offices have an extra thing to celebrate this holiday season, as Christmas Eve has been declared a federal holiday.
President Donald Trump gave an executive order on December 17 to close all "executive departments and agencies of the federal government" on Tuesday, December 24, 2019, according to the White House. This means that employees working for the government should have an extra day off before Christmas.
The decision whether employees "report for duty" on Christmas Eve is at the discretion of the heads of the executive departments and agencies, according to the executive order. Some organizations, or part of them, might remain open due to reasons of "national security, defense or other public need" the order says.
Which government offices will be closed on Christmas Eve?
According to the government website, the following offices, departments and agencies fall under the executive departments of the Federal Government.
- Office of the President
- Office of the Vice President
- Council of Economic Advisers
- Council on Environmental Quality
- National Security Council
- Office of Management and Budget
- Office of National Drug Control Policy
- Office of Science and Technology Policy
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of State
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Administration for Children and Families
- Administration for Community Living
- Administration for Native Americans
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
- Agricultural Marketing Service
- Agricultural Research Service
- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- Antitrust Division
- Armed Forces Retirement Home
- Arms Control and International Security
- Bonneville Power Administration
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Bureau of Consular Affairs
- Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Bureau of Industry and Security
- Bureau of International Labor Affairs
- Bureau of Justice Statistics
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- Bureau of Prisons
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
- Bureau of the Fiscal Service
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
- Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice
- Community Oriented Policing Services
- Computer Emergency Readiness Team
- Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- Defense Acquisition University
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- Defense Commissary Agency
- Defense Contract Audit Agency
- Defense Contract Management Agency
- Defense Finance and Accounting Service
- Defense Finance and Accounting Service Debt and Claims Management Center
- Defense Health Agency
- Defense Information Systems Agency
- Defense Intelligence Agency
- Defense Logistics Agency
- Defense Security Cooperation Agency
- Defense Security Service
- Defense Technical Information Center
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy
- Economic Development Administration
- Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
- Economic Research Service
- Elder Justice Initiative
- Employee Benefits Security Administration
- Employment and Training Administration
- Energy Information Administration
- Energy Star Program
- English Language Acquisition Office
- Executive Office for Immigration Review
- Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation
- Farm Service Agency
- Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Federal Consulting Group
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Federal Executive Boards
- Federal Highway Administration
- Federal Housing Administration
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Federal Protective Service
- Federal Railroad Administration
- Federal Student Aid Information Center
- Federal Transit Administration
- Federal Voting Assistance Program
- Fish and Wildlife Service
- Food and Drug Administration
- Food and Nutrition Service
- Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Foreign Agricultural Service
- Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
- Forest Service
- Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)
- Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Indian Health Service
- Information Resource Management College
- Innovation and Improvement Office
- Institute of Education Sciences
- Internal Revenue Service
- International Trade Administration
- Job Corps
- Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries
- Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Joint Fire Science Program
- Joint Forces Staff College
- Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense
- Maritime Administration
- Marketing and Regulatory Programs
- Middle East Broadcasting Networks
- Military Postal Service Agency
- Mine Safety and Health Administration
- Minority Business Development Agency
- Missile Defense Agency
- Multifamily Housing Office
- National Agricultural Statistics Service
- National Cancer Institute
- National Cemetery Administration
- National Defense University
- National Flood Insurance Program
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
- National Guard
- National Health Information Center
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- National Indian Gaming Commission
- National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- National Institute of Corrections
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- National Institute of Justice
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
- National Institute of Standards and Technology
- National Institutes of Health
- National Intelligence University
- National Interagency Fire Center
- National Laboratories
- National Library of Agriculture
- National Nuclear Security Administration
- National Ocean Service
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Park Service
- National Passport Information Center
- National Pesticide Information Center
- National Prevention Information Network
- National Reconnaissance Office
- National Security Agency
- National Technical Information Service
- National Telecommunications and Information Administration
- National War College
- National Weather Service
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- NOAA Fisheries
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education
- Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human Services
- Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
- Office of Child Support Enforcement
- Office of Community Planning and Development
- Office of Cuba Broadcasting
- Office of Disability Employment Policy
- Office of Economic Adjustment
- Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Office of Environmental Management
- Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
- Office of Fossil Energy
- Office of Housing
- Office of Immigrant and Employee Rights
- Office of Investor Education and Advocacy
- Office of Justice Programs
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
- Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes
- Office of Manufactured Housing Programs
- Office of Minority Health
- Office of Natural Resources Revenue
- Office of Nuclear Energy
- Office of Policy Development and Research
- Office of Postsecondary Education
- Office of Refugee Resettlement
- Office of Scientific and Technical Information
- Office of Servicemember Affairs
- Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
- Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement
- Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
- Office of the Federal Register
- Office of the Pardon Attorney
- Pentagon Force Protection Agency
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- Political Affairs
- Power Administrations
- President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition
- Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia
- Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Accounting Agency
- Public and Indian Housing
- Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
- Radio Free Asia
- Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
- Rehabilitation Services Administration
- Research and Innovative Technology Administration
- Risk Management Agency
- Rural Business and Cooperative Programs
- Rural Development
- Rural Housing Service
- Rural Utilities Service
- Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
- Science Office
- Seafood Inspection Program
- Secret Service
- Southeastern Power Administration
- Southwestern Power Administration
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Taxpayer Advocacy Panel
- Transportation Security Administration
- U.S. AbilityOne Commission
- U.S. Access Board
- U.S. Air Force
- U.S. Air Force Reserve Command
- U.S. Army
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Census Bureau
- U.S. Central Command
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- U.S. European Command
- U.S. Fire Administration
- U.S. Fleet Forces Command
- U.S. Geological Survey
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- U.S. Marine Corps
- U.S. Marshals Service
- U.S. Military Academy, West Point
- U.S. Mint
- U.S. Mission to the United Nations
- U.S. National Central Bureau - Interpol
- U.S. Navy
- U.S. Northern Command
- U.S. Pacific Command
- U.S. Parole Commission
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- U.S. Southern Command
- U.S. Special Operations Command
- U.S. Strategic Command
- U.S. Transportation Command
- U.S. Trustee Program
- Unified Combatant Commands
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
- USAGov
- Veterans Benefits Administration
- Veterans Health Administration
- Veterans' Employment and Training Service
- Voice of America
- Wage and Hour Division
- Washington Headquarters Services
- Weights and Measures Division
- Western Area Power Administration
- Women's Bureau
It is unclear whether the executive order extends to independent and quasi-official agencies and their departments and committees. Newsweek has reached out to the White House for clarification.
These include agencies such as the U.S. Postal Service, National Park Foundation and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- Administrative Conference of the United States
- African Development Foundation
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Commission on Civil Rights
- Commission on Presidential Scholars
- Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
- Denali Commission
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Export-Import Bank of the United States
- Farm Credit Administration
- Federal Communications Commission
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Federal Election Commission
- Federal Housing Finance Agency
- Federal Labor Relations Authority
- Federal Maritime Commission
- Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
- Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
- Federal Reserve System
- Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
- Federal Trade Commission
- General Services Administration
- Indoor Air Quality
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
- Inter-American Foundation
- Merit Systems Protection Board
- Millennium Challenge Corporation
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Capital Planning Commission
- National Credit Union Administration
- National Endowment for the Arts
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- National Labor Relations Board
- National Mediation Board
- National Railroad Passenger Corporation
- National Science Foundation
- National Transportation Safety Board
- Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
- Office of Government Ethics
- Office of Personnel Management
- Office of Special Counsel
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- Overseas Private Investment Corporation
- Peace Corps
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
- Postal Regulatory Commission
- Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
- Railroad Retirement Board
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- Selective Service System
- Small Business Administration
- Social Security Administration
- Surface Transportation Board
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- U.S. Agency for Global Media
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- U.S. International Trade Commission
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- U.S. Postal Service
- U.S. Trade and Development Agency
- Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
- American Battle Monuments Commission
- Appalachian Regional Commission
- Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program
- Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
- Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
- Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
- Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
- Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency
- Delaware River Basin Commission
- Delta Regional Authority
- Endangered Species Program
- Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council
- Federal Financing Bank
- Federal Geographic Data Committee
- Federal Interagency Committee on Education
- Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy
- Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer
- Federal Library and Information Center Committee
- Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
- Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
- Indian Arts and Crafts Board
- Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group
- Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds
- Interagency Council on Homelessness
- James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
- Japan-United States Friendship Commission
- Marine Mammal Commission
- Migratory Bird Conservation Commission
- Mississippi River Commission
- Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation
- National Council on Disability
- National Park Foundation
- Northern Border Regional Commission
- Northwest Power and Conservation Council
- Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
- Presidio Trust
- Social Security Advisory Board
- Susquehanna River Basin Commission
- U.S. Arctic Research Commission
- U.S. Chemical Safety Board
- U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
- Veterans Day National Committee
- Center for Parent Information and Resources
- Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)
- Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae)
- Institute of Peace
- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- Legal Services Corporation
- National Constitution Center
- National Gallery of Art
- Smithsonian Institution
- State Justice Institute
- Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), around 2.1 million civilian workers are employed by the federal government. This number excludes workers from agencies such as the U.S. postal service.
About the writer
Sophia Waterfield is a reporter for Newsweek based at its London bureau. She has written for publications such as Metro UK, ... Read more