Sponsors
The bill trades short-term operational continuity and a mechanism to use sale proceeds for employee pay and deficit reduction against risks of permanent loss of public property, reduced worker compensation protections, legal/oversight complications (including for the military), tribal sovereignty concerns, and increased administrative burden.
Federal employees who are excepted from furlough can be paid during an appropriations lapse and certain sale-related work is treated as emergency services, preserving pay and continuity of essential government functions during shutdowns.
Reduces the risk that hostile foreign governments (e.g., DPRK, PRC, Russia, Iran) or their proxies acquire U.S. real property and helps keep key sites under federal control, protecting national security and public continuity of services.
Requires proceeds received after an appropriations lapse to be deposited into the Treasury for deficit reduction, directing funds toward lowering the federal deficit rather than discretionary spending.
Allows federal real property to be sold during shutdowns, risking permanent loss of public assets and potential long-term costs to taxpayers and diminished public services.
Authorizes using sale proceeds to pay employees only during the lapse and bars later back pay, which could reduce total compensation for excepted workers compared with normal appropriations processes.
Counting active-duty military as "Federal officer or employee" paid from sale proceeds could create pay and appropriations complications for the Armed Forces and raise legal/oversight issues.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
During a federal shutdown, allows the President to sell federal real property to pay excepted workers, requires post-lapse proceeds to reduce the deficit (and permits purchase of Greenland), and bars sales to several hostile nations.
Introduced November 12, 2025 by Eric Burlison · Last progress November 12, 2025
Allows the President, during any partial or full lapse in appropriations for the Executive Branch, to sell federally owned real property and use the proceeds to pay salaries and expenses of Federal officers and employees who are excepted from furlough. Proceeds received after the lapse must be deposited in the Treasury general fund for deficit reduction (the text even specifically permits proceeds to be used to purchase Greenland), sales-related services are treated as emergency services, back pay is barred for those paid under this authority, certain Indian trust lands are excluded from sale, and sales are prohibited to North Korea, China, Russia, Iran or entities substantially controlled by those countries.