What will close in the government shutdown

Congress moved one step closer to a shutdown after Senate Republicans late Monday blocked a bill to fund the government at current levels and suspend the debt ceiling.

But on Thursday it appeared that a shutdown would be averted, with the Senate poised to approve a short-term government funding bill that keeps federal agencies open through early December and staves off a partial government shutdown.

Most Americans would notice the disruption in one way or another. Many national parks would likely shut down, while mortgage and other loan applications could be delayed because the IRS could stop verifying income and Social Security numbers, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget CRFB , a nonprofit group that focuses on fiscal issues. Government services that are deemed essential — typically tasks important to safety and national security, such as border protection and air traffic control — would continue despite a shutdown.

But the disruption would come at a sensitive time, with many Americans struggling to regain their footing amid the ongoing pandemic and the economy grappling with the effects of the COVID Delta variant.

Pfizer on Tuesday said it had sent data to the FDA on its clinical trials for the vaccine in children from 5 to 12 years old. The biggest impact may be felt by the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who are likely to be furloughed if a shutdown occurs, experts say.

The showdown in Congress comes as lawmakers are also debating a hike in the nation's borrowing limit, or "debt ceiling," adding to the potential political twists and turns. Here's what you should know if the government shuts down this week. The last shutdown, from December 22, , to January 25, , was a partial closure since Congress had already enacted five of the 12 appropriations bills. But Congress hasn't yet passed any funding bills.

That means more federal agencies would likely be affected in a new shutdown. It's unclear at this point how large the financial impact would be, since that partly depends on the length of a shutdown.

Each federal agency would have its own shutdown plan, which is coordinated by the Office of Management and Budget. Those efforts would determine which government activities would stop until the political impasse between Democrats and Republicans is resolves and funding is renewed. But all essential services would continue.

Here are some of the services that have been maintained in prior shutdowns, according to the CRFB. A full government shutdown would likely impact more federal workers than the prior partial shutdown in , the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said. It could be similar in scope to shutdowns in and in early , when about , of 2.

Yet for the majority of the federal workforce, the essential employees left staffing agencies would be missing out on their paychecks. Jacqueline Simon, public policy director of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing over , government workers, said that for many federal employees, the lack of a paycheck creates tremendous hardship. Federal employees working through the shutdown get back pay, but that will not help them in the interim.

A government shutdown does not usually have widespread impacts on the economy unless they drone on for weeks. The longer a shutdown lasts, the more areas with high numbers of federal employees could see their local economies begin to suffer because those employees are not getting paid, according to Richard Kogan of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Government shutdowns create distrust with how the government functions and the uncertainty can impact the economy, MacGuineas said.

Compounding the uncertainty is whether Congress is going to pass a raise or suspension to the debt ceiling so the U. We'll notify you here with news about. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? MORE: What the debt ceiling is, and why you should care about it.

Comments 0. Top Stories. United Kingdom. Kelly Anne Smith. Forbes Advisor Staff. Editorial Note: Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn't affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Getty Editorial. Lawmakers have moved to avoid a government shutdown—for now.

Food Stamp Delivery Challenges The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP , commonly referred to as food stamps, has been a critical lifeline for families struggling with the economic consequences of the pandemic.

National Parks and Monuments Could Close National parks have proven to be a very popular refuge during the pandemic— parks like Yellowstone set monthly visitation records in Was this article helpful? Share your feedback. Send feedback to the editorial team.

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