“How long can people work if they are not getting paid? That’s a question we’ve never tested to this level before. It is pretty scary,” said David Berteau, president of the Professional Services Council.

Federal programs are starting to feel the sting of a lack of appropriations, including, possibly, the White House’s technology modernization efforts.

Ongoing efforts at IT modernization are fueling a potential 32 percent surge in federal cloud spending in fiscal 2018, according to Bloomberg Government.

It could take a massive redesign of skills needed in the workforce to utilize the technology to ensure the government can capitalize on AI's potential.

Continuing resolutions, the weapon of choice for financing the government for the past dozen years, could be a way for the TMF to sidestep appropriators.

The survey said federal officials feel acquisition workforce skill is improving, despite continued headwinds in hiring and budget challenges.