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December 30, 2024executive orderfederal workforcegovernment operationspresidential historyexecutive orderspresidencyexecutive orderfederal workforce

Biden orders federal agencies closed on January 9 for Jimmy Carter national day of mourning

President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14133 on December 30, 2024, closing executive departments and federal agencies on January 9, 2025, as a mark of respect for former President Jimmy Carter. The order allowed agency heads to keep certain offices or installations open when national security, defense, or other public needs required employees to report for duty. It also treated January 9 as covered by federal holiday pay-and-leave rules for affected employees. The action mattered because it translated the national day of mourning into concrete government operations: most federal offices closed, but essential functions could continue.