Washington Unless Congress devises a plan and takes immediate action, the U.S. government will shut down this weekend.
After entrepreneur Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump blew up their original bill and then a backup plan failed to pass Thursday night, congressional Republicans are starting over as federal funding ends at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
Watch live coverage of the government shutdown.
Government operations that people depend on and the salaries of millions of federal employees are at risk while Congress considers a course ahead.
The following information will help you understand what a government shutdown is and how it can impact you:
What is a government shutdown?
Since Congress has the power of the purse under the Constitution, nearly all decisions on government finance are made on Capitol Hill. Every year, the government runs out of funds to continue operating unless Congress passes spending bills by October 1st, the beginning of a new fiscal year.
The House and the Senate may also enact legislation known as a continuing resolution to keep the government fully functional for a little period of time if Congress does not take action before that date. Congress did just that back in September, resetting the date to December 20.
There will be a funding lapse unless Congress does action by Friday evening. All unnecessary government operations must then cease.
How did Congress get to this point?
The way the government expenditure process is intended to operate is as follows: Each year, both chambers’ appropriations committees are expected to approve a dozen budget bills that affect various federal agencies. Before the measures reach the president’s desk to become law, they must first pass both the Senate and the entire House.
In contemporary Congresses, such hardly ever occurs. Congress authorized a short-term budget extension in September after running out of time to complete the procedure, as is now the standard.
Congress did not reveal a plan to prevent a shutdown until this week, despite being aware of the deadline of December 20 since the fall.
The agreement, which was reached between the leading congressional Republicans and Democrats, was revealed Tuesday evening by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. It would have given farmers financial support, aid for hurricane-affected areas, and an extension of government funding until March 14. For the first time in over ten years, it also included a modest pay increase for members of Congress, up to a maximum of 3.8%.
Musk started posting critical comments about the bill to his more than 200 million followers on his platform before the House even scheduled a vote on it. X. Trump and several far-right members of Congress also voiced their opposition to the plan, calling it a giveaway to Democrats and criticizing certain policy provisions, such as the congressional raises.
In addition, Trump made a last-minute request that Congress pass legislation to raise the debt ceiling. Trump told NBC News on Thursday that he wants Congress to remove the debt ceiling completely, even though the nation isn’t anticipated to reach its borrowing maximum until sometime next year.
With 38 Republicans and almost all Democrats voting against it, House Republicans’ attempt to pass a second bill to allay Trump’s worries was unsuccessful. As the deadline draws nearer, they will now need to devise a new course of action.
When would a shutdown begin? How long could one last?
The repercussions of a shutdown would not be noticed until Monday since it would begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday unless Congress took last-minute action.
Given the disagreements on Capitol Hill and the approaching holidays, it is hard to say how long a shutdown may endure, but if it does, it might last for a long time. Democrats control the Senate, while Republicans hold a slim majority in the House. When Republicans seize control of both houses of Congress on January 3, that will change. On January 20, Trump will be sworn in.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, stated on X that she would be in favor of closing the government until the day of the inauguration.
What parts of the government would a shutdown affect?
The federal government would not be able to pay its millions of workers, including reservists and members of the armed forces, in time for the holidays if there was a shutdown.
Furloughing would mean that hundreds of thousands of government employees would not be able to report to work for a while. Approximately 850,000 workers were placed on furlough during a 2013 shutdown. However, even those who must continue to carry out necessary tasks would not be compensated during a shutdown.
Before Congress approved a bill following a shutdown in 2019, federal employees were not always promised retroactive compensation when the government reopened.
The military and public safety agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration and air traffic control, would continue to operate. In order to determine which employees are exempt from furloughing and how to function during a shutdown, each government department develops a contingency plan.
For instance, during a shutdown, inpatient and emergency outpatient care in Pentagon medical treatment facilities would continue, and the Defense Department would mandate that active military soldiers report for duty, a defense official told NBC News.
According to the official, military retiree benefits could be delayed due to a shortage of staff to handle them, but they would still be disbursed since they are derived from a different trust fund rather than congressional appropriations.
As mandated by law, President Joe Biden and members of Congress would all continue to work and receive compensation.
Would a shutdown affect benefits and payments like Social Security?
Social Security benefits, which are paid to 73 million Americans each month, would continue to be paid during a shutdown since they are regarded as obligatory spending and are not covered by the twelve appropriations bills that Congress is expected to enact annually.
Payments from Medicare, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Veterans benefits are more instances of obligatory spending that would persist.
How long did the longest government shutdown last?
Over the previous 40 years, Congress has permitted funding to lapse multiple times, resulting in 20 shutdowns that lasted for at least a full day.
The most recent closure, which lasted 34 full days from December 21, 2018, to January 25, 2019, was also the longest.
National parks stayed open during that closure, but trash began to accumulate and park staff were placed on furlough. Airport delays resulted from TSA employees calling in sick because they were forced to continue working without compensation. Longer wait times leading up to the holidays will result from a shutdown this year, the TSA administrator has warned.
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