What is a government shutdown?
A government shutdown is the result of Congress not passing federal funding appropriation bills by the end of the government’s accounting year, also called a fiscal year. The twelve appropriation bills are what allows funding for things such as the military, homeland security, social programs—think SNAP, FASFA, Medicaid and Social Security—the Department of Education, and many more. When the bills are not passed, it results in a funding gap. This can lead to a full or partial government shutdown if not resolved within twenty-four hours.
A partial government shutdown is when some of the twelve bills are passed, and a full shutdown is the result of none of the twelve bills are passed. We are currently in a full government shutdown, meaning all non-essential federal functions are stopped.
How a government shutdown works
Essential government services such as border protection, law enforcement and the military continue, however many employees are expected to work without pay. On the other hand, non-essential government services have reduced aid or temporarily put workers on unpaid leave; this is called furloughing. Some include Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Social Security.
Past government shutdowns
There have been 21 funding gaps or government shutdowns since 1977. The longest being under President Trump in 2019, second longest being under President Clinton in 1996, and third longest being our current shutdown under President Trump.
What this means for the people
Around 900,000 employees have been furloughed since the start of the shutdown. With the Department of Education, the Enviromental Protection Agency, the Department of Commerce, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and NASA being the most affected agencies and departments. With this, nearly all air-traffic employees are working without pay, leading to thousands of delays and cancellations. The National Park Service (NPS) also announced that, while their sites may be open, skeleton staffing means people will be “probably on their own” due to limited facilities.
SNAP has also officially shut down in PA, and people will not receive their benefits starting in November. This puts nearly 2 million people at risk of losing essential food benefits, around 760,00 being children. Social Security put out a statement on their website stating that they will continue to send out benefits, while the replacement of Medicaid cards, overpayment processing, and other services could slow or be stopped entirely.
FASFA has also assured the community that there is minimal impact on students as their core program continues. However, some communication and customer services have been slowed.
The lasting impact is undeniable. The U.S. Travel Association estimates $1 billion a week in economic damages. The highest-lasting damage sits at around 0.02% of the U.S.’s GDP, or $4.3 billion, during the 2019 shutdown. Due to the shutdown, millions of people are without guaranteed pay, housing, food benefits and more.
This is unacceptable to have become the norm in our government, and we must make our voices heard. Do what you can, help out a friend, call your local representative, and remember to vote in this upcoming election November 4.
