Are government offices closed on the Jan. 9 national day of mourning? What to know
President Joe Biden has declared Jan. 9 as a national day of mourning to honor former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100.
As part of the declaration, Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff for a period of 30 days following Carter's death. Carter’s official state funeral will be held on Jan. 9 at the Washington National Cathedral in the nation's capital.
Biden called on the American people to assemble on Jan. 9 "in their respective places of worship" to pay homage to Carter.
"I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance," Biden said in a statement following Carter's death.
On previous national days of mourning, such as after the deaths of former Presidents George H.W. Bush in 2018 and Gerald Ford in 2006, federal offices and stock markets were closed in the U.S.
Here's what to know about whether government offices will be open or closed on Jan. 9.
Will government offices be closed on Jan. 9?
Federal offices will be closed on Jan. 9 to commemorate Carter's death, following an executive order issued by Biden on Dec. 30. Similarly to a federal holiday, not all federal workers will be exempt of working, as some could be deemed as vital.
Supreme Court Justice John Roberts also ordered the Supreme Court building closed on Jan. 9 in recognition of the national day of mourning for Carter.
Although the court was not scheduled to be in session that day, the court will hear arguments the next day in TikTok’s challenge to a federal law requiring the popular short-form video app to sever ties with its Chinese parent company by Jan. 19.
Is the post office closed on Jan. 9? Will mail be delivered?
All U.S. Postal Service post offices will be closed and mail will not be delivered Jan. 9, the USPS confirmed to Paste BN.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at Paste BN. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.