With Congress now facing a new deadline to raise the debt ceiling, the threat of another government shutdown grows day by day. Unlike the last one, when federal employees made do with food, water, and other supplies, this time a longer shutdown could cause more serious problems. From delays in processing passport applications and small business loans to closed bathrooms at national parks and fewer food safety inspections, the consequences of a prolonged shutdown would be real. And while some agencies say they will continue work as long as they can tap reserves or tap into fees, others will have to shut down completely.
Every year, Congress must pass, and the President must sign, budget legislation to fund government agencies and programs for the following fiscal year. When that process stalls, agencies must stop all non-essential operations until Congress passes and the President signs new funding legislation. This means a long delay in providing services to the public, including Social Security checks (though benefit verification and card issuance remain), Medicare overpayments (along with customer service delays), Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration inspections, and more.
Some operations deemed “excepted” by the White House Office of Management and Budget continue during a shutdown, such as law enforcement and air traffic control. But that’s only because a decades-old legal opinion says such obligations are enforceable without an annual appropriation. And while a few federal workers are able to volunteer to continue their work without pay, the vast majority of employees must be furloughed and left unpaid.
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