Today the United States federal government faces an imminent shutdown, scheduled to begin within a few hours. If the national shutdown happens, it will be the first federal shutdown in almost seven years and indicates a new level of political dysfunction gridlock. Republicans and Democrats were not able to come to an agreement on appropriations bills. What was once an obscure budget arcana now threatens government services and employees, with the potential for far-reaching implications.
As the September 30 deadline looms, tempers continue to flare between those in control of Congress’ two large political wings. Attempts to seek an agreement have failed again and again, and tunnels still remain unable to reach a funding reauthorization agreement. It is this failure to mediate between conflicting priorities that has led the government to crisis point. Aisha Sembhi was the primary author of our report documenting these developments, and Joshua Cheetham wrote this excellent piece providing further context to the crisis unfolding. Maps depicting the crisis were produced by Mesut Ersoz.
The impacts of a federal government shutdown are wide-ranging. Core federal functions will be preserved, but hundreds of thousands of federal workers would likely see immediate furloughs, and thousands of programs could stop providing services. Citizens who depend on government services, from social security to veterans’ benefits to food assistance, would find vital programs grinding to a halt. This absence of funding imperils our national parks and the public services they provide, forcing them to close or restrict access.
In recent history, government shutdowns have been ordered in response to fights over where funds will be allocated and democracy’s policy disagreements. This specific shutdown is due to a breakdown in agreement over funding priorities, indicative of the overarching fractures within Congress. Yet with the clock ticking, a lack of negotiations and failure to reach a compromise among lawmakers has resulted in this unprecedented race against time.