NORAD to continue tracking Santa if government shuts down

by Owen Daughtery - 12/21/18 2:43 PM ET

Santa will still be tracked across the skies on Christmas Eve, even if the government shuts down.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced Friday it will track Santa’s route for the 63rd year whether or not Congress passes a spending bill to avert a government shutdown.

In the event of a government shutdown, NORAD will continue with its 63-year tradition of NORAD Tracks Santa on Dec. 24. Military personnel who conduct NORAD Tracks Santa are supported by approximately 1,500 volunteers who make the program possible each and every year. pic.twitter.com/fY0oyjrdDc

— NORAD & USNORTHCOM (@Norad_Northcom) December 21, 2018

A government shutdown will go into effect Friday at midnight if Congress does not pass a spending bill.

{mosads}A stopgap spending bill was passed in the House that included more than $5 billion in funding for a border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. That bill appears to be dead on arrival in the Senate.

President Trump has said he will not sign any bill that does not include funding for a border wall.

NORAD receives funding from the Department of Defense, which has a full year of funding and will not stop operating if the government shuts down.

NORAD also said it has more than a thousand volunteers helping the program run.

NORAD’s Santa Tracker allows people to see Santa’s location across a map of the world, including his next stop and his expected arrival time at a selected location. The site also has a running tally of how many gifts Santa has delivered, and shows the weather at the North Pole.