Why federal government shutdown

Government shutdowns may lead to furloughing of federal government employees, reduction in some government activities since the government stops all non-essential services and a shutdown may also affect various sectors of the economy. One of the most well known government shutdowns happened during the financial year , when the government was shut for five days in November As per the Congressional Research Service CRS over , federal government employees were furloughed during this time.

In the same financial year, another shutdown took place between December and January. This shutdown lasted for 21 days. But fewer federal government employees were affected this time at around , The Congress will have to enact some kind of legislation. The Senate is preparing to approve legislation that would fund the federal government till at least December.

These legislation, if enacted, will fund and cover the various programmes that are covered under the appropriation acts. If not enacted, the government may have to shut down. And those in less critical roles will be furloughed. But the budget headache will still be a distraction. That would come as many public health workers are already stressed. A July CDC survey found high levels of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems among public health workers. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease official, told the Washington Post last week that a pandemic was the "worst time" for a shutdown because the government should be working full blast on public health.

After funding expires, some workers can clock in briefly to set department shutdowns in motion, such as choosing who would be exempt from furlough and adding a shutdown message to government voicemails. The White House budget office said on Thursday agencies were drawing up plans, which in the past have included suspending processing of applications for firearms and passports.

Much of government would continue on autopilot, including mailing Social Security pension checks and paying hospital bills for the elderly. Soldiers can still fight wars, but many civilians in the Department of Defense will be furloughed. Many federal agencies, which rely on the funding approved by Congress, are effectively closed down and hundreds of thousands of government employees have to take a leave of absence, often without pay. Services such as national security, electricity generation and air-traffic control continue, but others that are considered non-essential, like visa and passport processing, could be delayed.

Museums and national parks could also be closed. Of particular concern, especially with the ongoing Covid pandemic, is the potential hit that health services could take. That said, every shutdown is different, and deciding which government services to suspend is not an exact science.

The implications of this for the US are catastrophic. In an article for the Wall Street Journal earlier this month, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the US "would emerge from this crisis a permanently weaker nation". And because the US remains the world's largest economy, a default by Washington could plunge the rest of the world into chaos too.

Yes, quite a few times. There have been 14 shutdowns since , some lasting for just a day, others for over a month. That shutdown gave us the iconic images of Mr Trump welcoming the winners of the national college football championship, the Clemson Tigers, with more than McDonalds burgers as White House catering staff were prevented from working due to the shutdown. That shutdown eventually came to an end after 35 days when Mr Trump relented on his demands.

Both chambers of Congress on Thursday approved a new continuing resolution, with the bill now going to President Biden for his signature. That means all is well until December, at least. But this bill does not include a provision to raise the debt ceiling - meaning that row will continue to rumble on. Eighteen ways the US shutdown is hurting.