A government shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass funding bills to keep agencies and programs open. In a shutdown, many non-essential federal employees are furloughed (or temporarily removed from work without pay) while people who perform essential services, like border protection and air traffic control, continue to work. In addition, the courts and Congress continue to operate because of a 1981 legal opinion by Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti that says they can do so without annual appropriations, as long as those duties are considered “essential.”
During previous shutdowns, food inspections at the Food and Drug Administration stopped, which increased public health risks; national parks closed with trash piling up and toilets overflowing; immigration court hearings were canceled; and student loan payments and bankruptcy filings were delayed. A future shutdown could cause similar disruptions, although Social Security and Veterans benefits would continue to flow.
But a longer-term shutdown could alter younger workers’ perceptions of federal jobs, leading them to seek employment elsewhere, Hurst said. The government is now working to avert a shutdown by putting together a proposal, called a Continuing Resolution, that the Senate will vote on this week. If approved, it would provide temporary funding through the end of the fiscal year in September. But it is unlikely to pass the House, where partisanship has been strong and the President remains committed to getting a wall funded. Until then, the President continues to threaten a national emergency to force Congress’ hand.