Government Shutdown: Q&A

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: Q&A

At 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 20, the U.S. government shut down its operations. As Congress works through reopening the government, here are some frequently asked questions regarding a government shutdown. 

What is a government shutdown? 

Many federal government agencies and programs rely on annual funding appropriations made by Congress. Since the government's funding ended without a new funding agreement, the government was forced to shut down at midnight Saturday, January 20. In a "shutdown," federal agencies must discontinue all non-essential discretionary functions until new funding legislation is passed and signed into law. Essential services continue to function, as do mandatory spending programs.  Legally, thousands of federal employees will be forced to stop working, which will have consequences on operations and services across the nation.

What services are affected in a shutdown and how? 

Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan, following guidance from previous cases and coordinated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The plan identifies which government activities may not continue until appropriations are restored, requiring furloughs and the halting of many agency activities. However, "essential services" -- mainly those related to public safety -- continue to receive funding. In prior shutdowns, border protection, medical care of inpatients, air traffic control, law enforcement, and power grid maintenance have been among the services classified as essential, while legislative and judicial staff have also been largely protected. Mandatory spending on programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid also continue. 

Although a number of programs are exempt, the public is still likely to feel the impact of a shutdown in a number of ways. For example: 

Social Security and Medicare: Benefits will still be sent to recipients of Social Security and Social Security Insurance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Processing new applications for benefits or appeals for benefits will not have their applications processed until funding resumes. In the shutdown of 1996, more than 10,000 Medicare applicants were turned away every day of shutdown.

Passport Processing: Passport processing employees will be sent home during the shutdown. In 1995, 200,000 U.S. applications for passports went unprocessed. More than 20,000 applications by foreigners for visas went unprocessed each day; airlines and the tourist industry lost millions.

Are your Idaho or Washington, D.C. offices open? 

My staff is making contingency plans to maintain some staff levels at my offices to provide limited, essential services and work with Idahoans as best as possible. As those plans come together, I recommend you please call one of my regional offices or my Washington, D.C., office before traveling to each location. 

Will I still get my mail? 

Yes. The U.S. Postal Service generates its own funding and will continue operations. 

How would federal employees be affected? 

If agency shutdown plans are similar to those in place in previous shutdowns, thousands of federal employees will be furloughed. These employees are not allowed to work, and will not receive paychecks. Although Congress has historically granted back pay, it is not guaranteed. As a result of these furloughs, operations at many government agencies will slow and in many cases, stop entirely. Many federal buildings and the offices in those buildings will also be closed. 

What is a Continuing Resolution (CR)? 

A continuing resolution or CR,  temporarily funds the government in the absence of full appropriations bills, often by continuing funding levels from the prior year. Traditionally, CRs have been used to give lawmakers a short period of time to complete their work on remaining appropriations bills while keeping the government operating. CRs sometimes apply to only a few categories of spending, but can also be used to fund all functions. 

CRs differ from normal appropriations bills in that they often "continue" the funding allocations from previous bills. However, CRs often do include certain "anomalies" where select accounts are increased or decreased or "policy riders," specifying certain statements of policy. 

How often does Congress pass CRs? 

Congress frequently passes CRs during periods of political turmoil, and occasionally, many CRs are necessary to fund the government for an entire fiscal year. They have also sometimes been relied on during Presidential transition years. 

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