Smokey Bear made it to the Rose Parade during the shutdown, but now all trips are off
A new Trump administration policy prohibits all but the most critical travel during the budget impasse

By Juliet Eilperin and Lisa Rein
January 8 at 8:09 PM

As thousands of U.S. Forest Service employees were furloughed Jan. 1, agency chief Vicki Christiansen and Smokey Bear rode in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., standing on a float laden with greenery. “What a great way to kick off the new year,” the legendary mascot tweeted. The Forest Service’s main Twitter account had been silent since the shutdown began Dec. 22.

But this week, the White House directed agencies to cancel all travel for their employees — including Smokey Bear — during the budget impasse unless it is critical to an agency’s mission. The new policy, which affects even departments that are fully funded such as Energy, Veterans Affairs and Defense, reflects optics as much as a legal determination. With 800,000 federal employees either furloughed at home or working without pay, White House officials said, allowing federal officials to travel sends a questionable message.

“We should be mindful of what resources we’re using and why we’re using them when so many people are affected by the shutdown,” said one White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The back-and-forth over who can travel during a partial government shutdown underscores the vexing problems that have emerged as officials sort out which activities can continue and which might prompt a political backlash. ... The Forest Service, for example, is shut down, with roughly three-quarters of its employees out on furlough. But the agency decided to tap Smokey Bear licensing revenue to fund the trip to the parade, which ensured the expense did not violate federal law.
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Juliet Eilperin is The Washington Post's senior national affairs correspondent, covering how the new administration is transforming a range of U.S. policies and the federal government itself. She is the author of two books — one on sharks and another on Congress, not to be confused with each other — and has worked for The Post since 1998. Follow https://twitter.com/eilperin

Lisa Rein covers federal agencies and the management of government in the Trump adminstration. At The Washington Post, she has written about the federal workforce; state politics and government in Annapolis, and in Richmond; local government in Fairfax County, Va. and the redevelopment of Washington and its neighborhoods. Follow https://twitter.com/Reinlwapo