The Joe Biden administration is preparing for a possible government shutdown in the event that current funding runs out on September 30, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said.

"This is not formal guidance being given, it is just a reminder, we are seven days out, and we need to be prepared, certainly, in any event of any contingency. So we see this as a routine step and one just to be prepared in any event of what could happen," Psaki said at a press briefing on Thursday, referring to the OMB.

"It's consistent with longstanding practice across many administrations for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to simply remind agency senior staff of the need to review and update orderly shutdown plans," Psaki added.

Psaki further noted that the Biden administration is taking steps to mitigate the impacts of a potential government shutdown on US pandemic response, economic recovery, or other priorities. "The fact is shutdowns are incredibly costly, disruptive, and damaging. Direct public health efforts can generally proceed during a shutdown because they're exempt, and that is certainly our intention," she said.

Psaki's comments came after the US House of Representatives on Tuesday night passed a bill that would prevent a federal government shutdown and suspend the debt limit on government borrowing into December 2022.

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