Paul Ingrassia was initially scheduled to have his confirmation hearing in July, but it was abruptly postponed after Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., voiced opposition to his nomination.
President Donald Trump insisted in July that the $250 million project, which he said he and private donors would finance, "won't interfere with the current building."
Controllers have already received one reduced check, because the shutdown began in the middle of a pay period. The next pay date, Oct. 28, will be the first fully missed paycheck.
It's not a presidential election year, or even the midterms, but races this fall will offer a sense of voters' moods in the first year of the new Trump administration.