When the federal government closes its doors, Americans will get a glimpse of an issue that has been debated in Washington for years. The question is, “How much government is too much?” Here’s what happens during a partial government shutdown. This typically happens when Congress fails to pass a new bill authorizing the spending.
Federal agencies and services deemed “essential” will cease operations, while “essential” services are expected to continue functioning. Examples of “critical” agencies include national security, border patrol, law enforcement, and disaster response.
Additionally, funding for certain programs such as Social Security and some institutions such as the Post Office operates separately from the annual appropriations process.
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A government shutdown looms as Republicans struggle to put together a comprehensive spending package. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Accountable Tech)
A closure of less than two weeks would have minimal impact, as government employees would continue to receive their paychecks as scheduled. Prolonged shutdowns, on the other hand, typically involve retroactive paychecks for government and parliamentary staff. As a result, the actual impact of shutdowns tends to be much less severe than what is commonly described.
Some lawmakers may also see the partial government shutdown as an opportunity to address unsustainable federal spending. The U.S. national debt is over $35 trillion, and many argue that it would be irresponsible to allow the government to function indefinitely without addressing wasteful spending. Therefore, a government shutdown may require Congress to make decisions about funding priorities and eliminate bloated programs.
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Congress has until Friday, Dec. 20, to pass a continuing resolution. Otherwise, a partial government shutdown will begin Saturday, December 21st. (Getty Images)
The federal government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, and Congress must pass a series of spending bills by the end of September to fund operations. If Congress does not act, legal safeguards would prevent the executive branch from spending money without legislative approval, effectively restricting government functions.
Congress’ annual budget process begins in early February, when the president submits a budget proposal to Congress that provides recommendations for federal spending across all areas of government.
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U.S. Postal Service operations will continue as usual despite the partial government shutdown. (Stephanie Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Congress is expected to adopt a budget resolution setting overall spending limits and guidelines by mid-April. Throughout late spring and summer, House and Senate appropriations committees have been working to draft 12 bills to allocate funding to specific federal agencies and programs. These bills must be passed by Congress by September 30 to prevent a partial government shutdown.
The deadline to pass a continuing resolution (CR), a temporary funding patch, is Friday at 11:59:59 pm ET. Without that, the federal government would enter a partial shutdown on Saturday, December 21st.
Jamie Joseph is a political writer. She leads Fox News Digital’s Senate coverage.
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