A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass a new fiscal year budget, which includes 12 appropriations bills for discretionary spending. During a shutdown, non-essential federal agencies must cease operations until the President signs funding legislation or Congress passes a continuing resolution (CR) that funds agencies and programs through an enacted appropriations bill.
Most federal employees must be furloughed during a shutdown, although workers who perform essential services continue to report to work and receive pay when the government resumes. A government shutdown can disrupt the delivery of goods and services to American citizens and foreign customers, as well as the nation’s economy.
Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan that guides employees on what work to do and not do during a lapse in appropriations, and some agencies make exceptions for certain activities or programs. For example, the National Gallery of Art says that it will continue to operate as long as it has reserves from previous years or income from fees that can be tapped, but it will have to close once those resources run dry.
As the United States struggles to maintain its global leadership, it is vital that its domestic politics do not detract from its image abroad and leave the country vulnerable to exploitation by adversaries. Shutdowns undermine the public’s faith in government and elected leaders on both sides of the aisle and are an invitation to domestic instability and squabbles that serve no one’s interests.
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