Some military activities could shut down this weekend amid budget rush

A short-term shutdown of Defense Department activities caused by a funding lapse this weekend could lead to headaches for some military personnel and family members.

House and Senate lawmakers are working to pass a full-year defense appropriations bill on Friday ahead of an 11:59 p.m. deadline when federal funds will expire. The $1.2 trillion bill — $825 billion of which has been set aside for military spending — was unveiled Thursday and may take several days to finalize because of parliamentary rules.

That means that some Defense Department offices and missions could be curtailed, starting Saturday morning. Members of both congressional chambers are expected to work throughout Friday to avoid that scenario.

However, Pentagon officials said they plan to send out guidance to offices sometime Friday warning them of the potential partial shutdown. That guidance remains unchanged from last fall, when similar guidelines were shared ahead of an expected lapse in appropriations that was ultimately avoided with hours to spare.