Looming Government Shutdown: A Familiar Predicament
The specter of a government shutdown once again looms large, a scenario that feels unsettlingly familiar to many Americans. Just a few months prior, in December, the nation faced a similar crisis as federal spending neared exhaustion and Congress struggled to reach a consensus on extending funding. On that occasion, a last-minute bipartisan agreement managed to avert a shutdown, sparing thousands of federal employees from furloughs during the holiday season.
Now, as another deadline approaches, the potential for a government shutdown once again hangs in the balance. The current funding is set to expire at the end of the day on Friday, March 14, and if Congress fails to pass a new funding bill before then, many federal government agencies and programs would be forced to pause operations.
Republicans have expressed confidence in their proposal to extend current funding through the end of the fiscal year on September 30. However, the path to approval is far from certain. Until legislation is formally approved, the threat of a shutdown remains a distinct possibility.
A government shutdown would have a wide-ranging impact, primarily affecting federal employees and the services they provide. A significant portion of the federal workforce, deemed non-essential, would be furloughed, meaning they would be temporarily laid off without pay. This would affect not only the employees themselves, but also the American public who rely on the services they provide.
Essential services deemed non-essential, like food inspections and some federal health services, would also be paused, according to the nonprofit policy organization Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB).
What Happens During a Shutdown?
During a government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers deemed nonessential would be furloughed until funding is passed, meaning they will not work and will not be paid.
Employees whose work is classified as an essential service for critical operations in defense, energy, agriculture and other sectors would continue to work without pay. However, under a 2019 law, all federal workers would be reimbursed for retroactive wages later.
Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan based previous shutdowns and guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), according to the CRFB.
When government employees are furloughed, they are temporarily ordered not to work and do not receive any pay, according to OPM’s Guidance for Shutdown Furloughs.
In the case of a government shutdown, those workers are put on leave because there is not money budgeted for their job. The good news is that furloughed employees who are not allowed to work or who do not receive paychecks are still guaranteed back pay due to legislation passed in January 2019.
Despite the widespread disruption, some federal operations would continue uninterrupted. Agents at the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other federal law enforcement agencies would remain on duty, as would prison staffers. Most Border Patrol, immigration enforcement agents, and customs agents would continue to work, though local governments would not receive new aid for migrant shelters. The Secret Service and the Coast Guard would also continue to operate at nearly full-staff.
For those with travel plans, there is some reassurance. Transportation Security Administration agents who operate security at airports, as well as air-traffic control workers would be required to work. However, in past shutdowns, some airports have struggled with staffers not reporting to work, which forced some operations to be suspended. Additionally, the TSA would not be able to hire new airport security screeners.
The U.S. Postal Service would not be affected because it does not depend on Congressional funding.
The 2 million U.S. military personnel would remain on duty. Roughly half of the Pentagon’s 800,000 civilian employees would not be so lucky and would instead be furloughed.
Nuclear security remains an essential function, meaning the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration would continue maintaining nuclear weapons.
Impact on Everyday Life
The shutdown would also affect access to national parks, monuments, and other sites, which would technically be closed to the public. Visitors may still be able to get in, but rangers would not be around and infrastructure like restrooms, help desks and other facilities would be closed. In previous shutdowns, some national parks closed entirely, while others remained technically open but without staff to maintain them. Some fell into disarray, with trash piling up and toilets overflowing. Wildfire fighting efforts would continue.
Taxpayers may also feel the effects of a shutdown. Essential IRS operations would continue, thanks to funds provided in the Inflation Reduction Act, making about a third of the agency’s nearly 90,000 employees exempt from furlough. In 2013, a backlog of 1.2 million income and Social Security number verification requests delayed mortgage and other loan approvals, and billions of dollars of tax refunds were also delayed, according to the CRFB.
NASA would continue to track satellites, operate the International Space Station and support astronauts in orbit. But the U.S. space agency would do so with a severely diminished workforce, with the vast majority of its staff targeted for furlough status.
Even lawmakers would not be entirely immune. They would continue to collect paychecks, even as some of their nonessential staffers would be furloughed. During past shutdowns, the White House furloughed a significant portion of its staff, according to Reuters. Essential offices, like the National Security Council, will continue operating, while others will be scaled back. Under the U.S. Constitution, the president would continue to be compensated.
Unemployment Benefits for Furloughed Workers
Most federal workers and contractors would be eligible for unemployment. Those who believe they’re eligible can visit the Department of Unemployment Service’s website to file in the jurisdictions where they work, not where they live.
The potential for a government shutdown is a stark reminder of the challenges facing Congress in reaching agreements on federal spending. The consequences of a shutdown can be far-reaching, affecting federal employees, government services, and the broader economy. As the deadline approaches, the nation awaits with bated breath to see whether lawmakers can avert yet another crisis and ensure the continued functioning of the government.
