Government shutdown: How the crisis will affect services — what stays open, what shuts

The United States government is heading towards another shutdown. If President Donald Trump and Democrats in the US Congress do not agree on a deal to pass funding-related legislation before midnight on September 30, the government would shut down.

This will not be an unprecedented event. There have been four instances of government shutdowns since the turn of the century—three of them during President Trump’s first term, USA Today reported. This time, the logjam involves funding for the Affordable Care Act.

There will be another last-ditch attempt to salvage the situation, as President Trump will meet with Democrats in Congress on Monday to flesh out a deal. Failing this, the US government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. local time on Wednesday, NBC reported.

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What is a government shutdown?

According to The Guardian, a government shutdown entails the closure of all non-essential government functions. All state employees engaged in activities deemed ‘non-essential’ are sent on a furlough, and may even get laid off.

While ‘essential’ services like the military, air traffic controllers, police, and social welfare programs will remain active, the employees engaged in these operations will not be paid until the shutdown remains in force. Once the government resumes its normal functions, it will be remunerated for the entire period.

However, this time around, there is a catch. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the White House has already signaled its intent to shrink the size of the federal workforce. This is in keeping with the attempts to make the state machinery more ‘efficient.’ Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency had earlier advocated a thinning of the workforce.

So, government employees are in danger of losing immediate pay for their services and may also suffer permanent layoffs.

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Which parts of the government will be most affected by the shutdown?

While essential services like security agencies and social welfare schemes will remain operational, many functions deemed non-essential will cease operation during the shutdown.

As per CBC, national parks will close down, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) clerks will be sent on a furlough as part of the shutdown. However, the White House will have the final say in deciding which services are deemed essential and which are not.

FAQs

What is a government shutdown?

A government shutdown occurs when the US Congress is unable to pass a budget and clear funding for governmental functions. All non-essential state services cease to operate.

When was the last government shutdown?

The last government shutdown took place in December 2018-January 2019, during President Trump’s first term. It lasted for 34 days and was the longest government shutdown in history.

When would the impending shutdown come into effect?

If President Trump and the Democrats do not come to an agreement by midnight on September 30, the shutdown will take effect at midnight.