The US Government Almost Shutdown (Again!)

Reported By: Sierra Reisman

Illustrated By: Addie Patterson

Americans have been hearing a lot about government shutdowns lately. Between the news and social media, there’s a lot of talk about the US government shutting down, and if you’ve been alarmed by this, you’re not alone. “Government shutdown” sounds fairly catastrophic. So what exactly is a government shutdown, why does it happen (or almost happen), and why does it matter? 

According to the Anti-Deficiency Act, federal agencies cannot spend money without authorization from Congress. In order to appropriate funds to federal agencies, Congress must successfully approve a budget by the end of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30. If Congress is unable to pass a budget by Sept. 30, federal employees cannot be paid and many government operations will shut down.

  Positions deemed “essential” (such as the US military) will continue operating, but most employees will not be paid until Congress is able to pass a budget. Ironically, Congress itself continues to be paid even during a shutdown. 

The tale of this year’s budget fiasco began in June 2023 when Congress passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act in an attempt to limit government spending. There were many House Republicans who were unhappy with this spending limit and wanted it lowered ever further. Come September, the Democrat-controlled Senate passed a budget that was in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, while the Republican-majority House passed an entirely different budget. When each house of Congress passes a different bill, negotiations are called to reconcile the two sides. Yet as the end of the 2023 fiscal year approached and still no budget had been approved, a shutdown loomed.

At the very last minute on Sept. 29, Congress passed a bipartisan continuing resolution to extend government funding until Nov. 17 and ensure an extra 45 days to continue negotiating a full budget. This, however, does not solve the issue of a government shutdown; it just buys Congress a little extra time. The bipartisan effort may have temporarily rescued the US government, but it was disastrous for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted as speaker, in a push by a far-right faction. This is the first time in US History that the House has ousted the speaker during a congressional term. Rep. Patrick McHenry is the interim speaker, but the operations of the House are disrupted until a new speaker can be formally chosen. With a shutdown on the horizon, this puts Congress in a precarious position. 

At this point, you may be asking yourself, what's on the line for a college student if a shutdown happens? One impact of a prolonged shutdown is a reduction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, which tends to harm consumer confidence in the economy. In plain English, shutdowns can have far reaching economic consequences. Some more immediate concerns, however, are related to government programs. A shutdown can disrupt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which many American families (and college students) rely on. A shutdown could also impact students receiving federal aid, such as delays in the dispersal of Pell grants and the processing of FAFSA applications. 

The bottom line? The longer a shutdown lasts, the more it slows down and disrupts federal operations. A shutdown is definitely not a doomsday scenario for the average American, but when Congress holds a party line at the expense of the American people, that is definitely a sign of a broken political system.