What Happens When The U.S. Government Shuts Down?
By Gwendolyn Kotsaftis and Nairi Nakhapetian
If you didn’t know, the government recently shut down for 35 days in December and January, affecting a lot of government workers and people who depend on government assistance.
Let’s start with the reason the US government shut down in the first place. Congress passes a bill that is used to fund many government projects. One of the projects President Trump wants is a wall built along the border of Mexico and the Democrats refuse to fund it, so Congress couldn’t pass a budget bill. When Congress cannot agree on the budget, the government does not have any money to keep it running. The result is a government shutdown.
In January, Trump said that if democrats don't fund the wall, he would shut down the government down until they did, which is a very complicated decision for the Democrats. Technically, the president does not have the power to shut down the government, only Congress does. When the government does shut down, government workers either get their paychecks late or do not get them at all.
Democrats did not want government workers to not get paid for a long period of time, but they also knew that if they funded this wall, Trump would most likely get elected again because the wall is something he promised his voters when he ran for president. They also knew that if they funded this wall, they would be spending billions of dollars solely for the purpose of keeping south and central American citizens out of the US, which many disagree with.
In February, after the 35-day shutdown, when the bill was back into consideration, President Trump claimed in that he was not going to shut down the government again even though he didn’t quite get what he wanted from shutting it down in the first place. What Trump did instead was declare a national emergency to start the process of building the famously known border wall that he promised during his 2016 campaign.
So, what exactly happens when the government shuts down?
The government shutdown is concerning because people who work for the government may or may not get paid while the government is shut down. In this most recent shut down, they would either receive their paychecks late or not get them at all. It's very risky because they need money to support their families. A temporary shutdown for about a few days would be fine, but for more a month? Workers need to feed their families and pay bills for internet, electricity, and insurance. So far, a staggering 800,000 government workers have felt the effects of the shutdown.
Another effect of the (partial) government shutdown is that some agencies run by the government completely shut down with it. Below is a list of agencies that were shut down along with the government.
Department of State: The Department of State advises the president, and represents the country in international affairs and foreign policy issues.
Department of the Treasury: The Treasury is responsible for minting coins and paper bills, collects all federal taxes, manages U.S. government debt instruments, and licenses and supervises banks, and advises the legislative and executive branches.
Department of Justice: The Department of Justice is responsible for enforcing laws and justice and administers several federal law enforcement agencies.
Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior is responsible for communicating with most federal lands, natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, territorial affairs, and insular areas of the United States.
If you didn’t know, the government recently shut down for 35 days in December and January, affecting a lot of government workers and people who depend on government assistance.
Let’s start with the reason the US government shut down in the first place. Congress passes a bill that is used to fund many government projects. One of the projects President Trump wants is a wall built along the border of Mexico and the Democrats refuse to fund it, so Congress couldn’t pass a budget bill. When Congress cannot agree on the budget, the government does not have any money to keep it running. The result is a government shutdown.
In January, Trump said that if democrats don't fund the wall, he would shut down the government down until they did, which is a very complicated decision for the Democrats. Technically, the president does not have the power to shut down the government, only Congress does. When the government does shut down, government workers either get their paychecks late or do not get them at all.
Democrats did not want government workers to not get paid for a long period of time, but they also knew that if they funded this wall, Trump would most likely get elected again because the wall is something he promised his voters when he ran for president. They also knew that if they funded this wall, they would be spending billions of dollars solely for the purpose of keeping south and central American citizens out of the US, which many disagree with.
In February, after the 35-day shutdown, when the bill was back into consideration, President Trump claimed in that he was not going to shut down the government again even though he didn’t quite get what he wanted from shutting it down in the first place. What Trump did instead was declare a national emergency to start the process of building the famously known border wall that he promised during his 2016 campaign.
So, what exactly happens when the government shuts down?
The government shutdown is concerning because people who work for the government may or may not get paid while the government is shut down. In this most recent shut down, they would either receive their paychecks late or not get them at all. It's very risky because they need money to support their families. A temporary shutdown for about a few days would be fine, but for more a month? Workers need to feed their families and pay bills for internet, electricity, and insurance. So far, a staggering 800,000 government workers have felt the effects of the shutdown.
Another effect of the (partial) government shutdown is that some agencies run by the government completely shut down with it. Below is a list of agencies that were shut down along with the government.
Department of State: The Department of State advises the president, and represents the country in international affairs and foreign policy issues.
Department of the Treasury: The Treasury is responsible for minting coins and paper bills, collects all federal taxes, manages U.S. government debt instruments, and licenses and supervises banks, and advises the legislative and executive branches.
Department of Justice: The Department of Justice is responsible for enforcing laws and justice and administers several federal law enforcement agencies.
Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior is responsible for communicating with most federal lands, natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, territorial affairs, and insular areas of the United States.
Department of Agriculture: The Department of Agriculture is responsible for developing laws related to farming, forestry and food.
Department of Commerce: The Department of Commerce is responsible for creating jobs, promoting economic growth, encouraging sustainable development, and improving standards of living for all Americans.
Department of Housing and Urban Development: The Department of Housing and Urban Development develops and executes policies on housing and metropolises.
Department of Transportation: The Department of Transportation is the department most concerned with public and private forms of transportation.
Department of Homeland Security: The Department of Homeland Security deals with issues like border security, immigration, customs for international flights and TSA workers at airports.
Department of Health and Human Services: The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.
Executive Office of the President: The Executive Office of the President supports the president’s work.
National Transportation Safety Board: The National Transportation Safety Board is responsible for civil transportation accident investigation.
Judicial Branch: The Judicial Branch is one of the three branches of the government.
You might be wondering what the border looks like right now. There are parts of the border where people can cross over from Mexico to Texas, which is illegal. In order for a non-U.S. citizen to cross legally, they are assigned a number and wait for your number to be called. It can take up to a few months for a certain person’s number to be called and even then, some still may not be able cross the border because there are many other processes after, or you could just get rejected. In some parts of the border, families who attempt to cross illegally can be separated. Children of these families can be kept in detention centers.
The shutdown, however, does not only affect government workers and agencies. Food stamps are stamps issued to low-income families who may not have enough money to support themselves and their families. They reduce the price of food items that are considered “necessary” by the government. Necessary food items include items that are usually always in a person’s possession, like milk, cheese, bread, cereals, some fruits and vegetables, meats, and fish. During a shutdown, the money for food stamps eventually runs out, which can be terrifying for low-income workers considering that they have no idea how long the shutdown will be and when their money supply will eventually run out.
Department of Commerce: The Department of Commerce is responsible for creating jobs, promoting economic growth, encouraging sustainable development, and improving standards of living for all Americans.
Department of Housing and Urban Development: The Department of Housing and Urban Development develops and executes policies on housing and metropolises.
Department of Transportation: The Department of Transportation is the department most concerned with public and private forms of transportation.
Department of Homeland Security: The Department of Homeland Security deals with issues like border security, immigration, customs for international flights and TSA workers at airports.
Department of Health and Human Services: The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.
Executive Office of the President: The Executive Office of the President supports the president’s work.
National Transportation Safety Board: The National Transportation Safety Board is responsible for civil transportation accident investigation.
Judicial Branch: The Judicial Branch is one of the three branches of the government.
You might be wondering what the border looks like right now. There are parts of the border where people can cross over from Mexico to Texas, which is illegal. In order for a non-U.S. citizen to cross legally, they are assigned a number and wait for your number to be called. It can take up to a few months for a certain person’s number to be called and even then, some still may not be able cross the border because there are many other processes after, or you could just get rejected. In some parts of the border, families who attempt to cross illegally can be separated. Children of these families can be kept in detention centers.
The shutdown, however, does not only affect government workers and agencies. Food stamps are stamps issued to low-income families who may not have enough money to support themselves and their families. They reduce the price of food items that are considered “necessary” by the government. Necessary food items include items that are usually always in a person’s possession, like milk, cheese, bread, cereals, some fruits and vegetables, meats, and fish. During a shutdown, the money for food stamps eventually runs out, which can be terrifying for low-income workers considering that they have no idea how long the shutdown will be and when their money supply will eventually run out.
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