Another federal agency that regulates the ARM industry has announced it is shutting down because it has run out of money. The Federal Communications Commission announced on Monday that it will suspend most of its operations at mid-day Thursday because of a government shutdown that began Dec. 22.
Already, the Federal Trade Commission has closed and will remain closed until the government is re-opened, a prospect that does not appear to be any closer to occurring, according to published reports.
Congress will gavel its next session to order on Thursday, with Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives. Democrats are set to pass a series of measures that would re-open the government, but a spokeswoman for President Trump said Tuesday night that the plan was a “non-starter.”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which receives its funding from the Federal Reserve Board and not from Congress, has remained open during the shutdown.
The FCC is working on a number of initiatives that have the potential to impact the ARM industry, including the creation of a reassigned numbers database, and new rules that would update and clarify the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The FCC is expected to release detailed notice today about how its operations will be impacted by the shutdown.
Nearly 800,000 government employees are out of work and not being paid during the shutdown, which is largely due to an impasse over border security.